Word of Faith

Here's the most disgusting thing you will see today. It is taking place in many of today's churches. It's called the Word of Faith movement. 

They call themselves Christians but I wonder. In my opinion, these folks are going straight to hell at The Judgement. But that's just me. See what YOU think.

They believe that they can receive power and financial prosperity simply by 'naming it and claiming it.' All by themselves. Granted, Solomon received power and prosperity, but that came from God, and it was God's idea, not Solomon's.

This "cult" preaches what is called The Prosperity Gospel. But the only ones who actually "prosper" are the television evangelists themselves who prey on their viewers, all in the name of Jesus.

They like to demonstrate their "healing powers" during their church services. Here's a question: If they truly can heal, why do we still have hospitals?

"Sow the seeds!" they say, which really means "send us yo' money!" That is how the leadership of these churches prosper. And that they do.

These false teachers, and their false converts, are in for a big surprise upon the return of our King. Where is their humble submission to the Lord?

Some of these false teachers are rather obvious - Kenneth Hagin and Kenneth Copeland (pictured above) for example. But others are more subtle. Joyce Meyer, Benny Hinn, Jesse Duplantis, Creflo Dollar, on and on.

Here's how you can tell the false teachers from the good shepherds. Read the Bible, and know what it says. Only God has the power to heal others. Not us.

Kenneth Hagin - Word Faith Example

Wash It All Away

Back in June I wrote a story called Five Finger Death Punch. I had seen of video of one of the band's songs and thought it was pretty good. I also saw another song of theirs recently called Wash It All Away. Perhaps you can tell why it caught my attention by one of the lines in the chorus. It sounds like a prayer.

 

"I'm waiting here for anyone to wash it all away."

So am I, buddy. So am I. But I'm not waiting for just anyone. I'm waiting for Jesus.

"Our sins are washed away and we are made clean because Christ gave His own body as a gift to God. He did this once for all time." - Hebrews 10:10

It's been pretty hot here lately. When I go outside to work in the yard I get all sweaty and dirty. Then, when I come inside, I take off my sweaty, dirty clothes and take a nice cool shower. It feels wonderful to be washed clean.

Our spiritual 'clothes' get dirty everyday. And oh, to know that they are washed in the blood of the Lamb is a wonderful feeling.

The picture above is from the movie John Wick. Across John's shoulders is a tatoo that reads "Fortis Fortuna Adiuvat." That's Latin for "Fortune Favors The Bold."

I don't know about the 'fortune' part, but I  do know this...

"In the day when I cried out, You answered me, And made me bold with strength in my soul." - Psalm 138:3

Thank you Lord for washing us clean. May we stand boldly in this world, for You and for Your glory. Amen.

Delight Yourself

It is written, "Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart." - Psalm 37:4.

Do we really want that? Do we REALLY want the desires of our hearts are sinful? And what are we willing to do to obtain those desires?

I suppose we could make a list of our desires - a wish list of sorts. But we really don't have to do that. God already knows what our desires are. God already knows everything about us.

"Would not God find this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart." - Psalm 44:21

The key to receiving the desires of our hearts is written in the first half of our opening verse. "Delight yourself in the Lord."

What does THAT mean? And how do we do it?

Is God delighted with us? Are we delighted with Him? Are we making Him smile with the way we are living our lives? Are we delighted to read His Word everyday? Are we loving Him with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength? Are we loving others? Even our enemies?

The proof of our delight in God is this: Have we truly received the desires of our hearts? And what are those desires, because our desires will change the closer we get to God. When we really know God and His will, our desires change and become His. Does that make sense?

"God is love." His "first and greatest commandment" for us is to love Him and love others. When we do that, He will be delighted with us and we are loved in return. The secret to all of this, obviously, is love. Our desire then should be to love God and love others.

"Love one another, for love comes from God." - 1 John 4:7

How will we demonstrate love to someone today? Who will God place in our lives today for us to encourage and to love in His name?

[This story was written for my friend, Essie. I love you kid! And I always will. Delight yourself in the Lord and watch what happens.]

The Duct Tape Parable

During the third week of July our church gets transformed. It's not a spiritual transformation per se. Instead, it is a physical metamorphosis into whatever Vacation Bible School theme that Answers In Genesis comes up with that year.

Last year we explored God's creation with an Australian makeover. This year's theme was mideival in nature as we learned about the full armor of God, as listed in Ephesians 6.

"Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." - Ephesians 6:14-17

My friend Chuck and I thought we were all done preparing our lessons for the upcoming week until one of the other teachers came up with an idea - a 7' x 8' working mideival gate .... made out of duct tape. 

Have you ever tried sticking two pieces of duct tape together, face-to-face, perfectly? I am here to say it cannot be done. But we did our best, and it worked! As a bonus, Chuck and I are still friends today! Lol!

Another thing about duct tape is that it has so many uses. We needed to secure a poster to it's support. Duct tape! A makeshift styrofoam "television" to a table. Duct tape! A wild 10-year old to his chair. Well, we just thought about it. Maybe.

My point is this: duct tape can be used to fix just about anything. Except us humans.

We need Jesus to do that. None of us is perfect, but He is. When God looks at us on judgement day, all He is going to see is His Son, Jesus. That's because we have been made righteous by our faith in Him.

Duct tape is good for many things here on earth but it's going to take something,  someone, REALLY special to fix our sin problem. The King of Kings. 

The Shield of Faith

A friend of mine got a new motorcycle. He was so excited to take his wife for a ride through the beautiful Wisconsin countryside. So off they went.

Later, when my friend woke up in the hospital he wondered what had happened. He had rounded a corner at an intersection and didn't notice the loose gravel on the road, and down he went, with his wife and his new shiny motorcycle.

He didn't see the gravel. He wasn't wearing a protective leather jacket OR a helmet. His body skidded along on the asphalt before finally arriving in the ditch. He survived but to this day he is still not the same.

We need to be properly prepared for all of life's situations, no matter where they come from. Whether it's on a country road, at work, or at school, everyday we are faced with some kind of challenge or attack.

How do we properly prepare for life's challenges and attacks?

1. Faith - Without faith in God, life will always be an uphill battle. We will continue to struggle in whatever we do.
2. Repent - Everyone sins. We must turn away from those activities that lead us into that sin.
3. Prayer - Constantly seek God's help through prayer. Seek His guidance and help.
4. Obey - God's Word (The Bible) contains examples and truths for us to follow. Read. Memorize.

Life is like an open road. But that doesn't mean we won't encounter bumps along the way. Deer crossings, gravel, intersections, and oncoming traffic are all part of driving.

Sin comes in many forms. Like gravel on the road, we must constantly be looking for it and avoiding it. Only then can we "enjoy the ride."

"In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one." - Ephesians 6:16

Powers of Darkness

According to the Apostle Paul there are powers at work in this world that battle against us every day - powers of darkness and spiritual forces of evil.

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." - Ephesians 6:12

This Biblical truth became rather obvious during yesterday's Gospel presentation at Vacation Bible School. We were singing a song about "The Belt of Truth," which is God's Word, The Bible.

Suddenly the entire room went dark, the screen and computer shut down, and all was quiet. But then, just as suddenly, the lights came back on.

What just happened? And why?

One person theorized a generator had exploded. Later, our pastor came in and said that Walgreens, just down the street, was still dark, yet OUR power had come back on, almost immediately.

If you were a spirit of darkness and didn't want anyone hearing the good news of Jesus the Messiah, do think that pulling the plug on our church would be something that you might do? Of course!

Satan doesn't want God the receive ANY glory. He wants all the glory for himself. He'd love to shut down every church on the planet if he could.

He'd twist the truth, pervert the Gospel, and spread his lies through false teachers within the church. Here's an example of his handiwork:

The United Church of Christ was in the news this week for voting to financially support abortion - the killing of innocent babies. The Presbyterian Church also passed a measure condemning the Supreme Court for their ruling in the Dobbs case, returning the US abortion laws to the states.

These are clearly the evil powers of this dark world that Paul spoke of. And the evil is in our churches, being taught as truth. And people are believing it.

Wake up people! The time is short and Jesus is coming.

"But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you." - Matthew 11:22

Churches vote against God's Word

God's Grace

I came across a story in the Bible this week that made me stop and think. It was about Jehoiachin (aka Jeconiah), king of Judah.

Jehoiachin became king in 598 BC at the age of 18 and "did evil in the eyes of the Lord." Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin's father, another evil dude, gave him the kingdom.

The thing that got me thinking about this story was that this man, even though he did bad things, suddenly was released from prison at the end of his earthly life, given new clothes, and sat and was fed at the king's table all the remaining days of his life.

God blessed him. Why?

"In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the year Awel-Marduk became king of Babylon, he released Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison. He did this on the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month. He spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat of honor higher than those of the other kings who were with him in Babylon. So Jehoiachin put aside his prison clothes and for the rest of his life ate regularly at the king’s table. Day by day the king gave Jehoiachin a regular allowance as long as he lived." - 2 Kings 25:27-30

Why was Jehoiachin important? Why is he in the Bible? He only reigned for three months and ten days. And he did evil! Yet, at the end of his life,  he was treated with grace and respect.

Well, he was the last king of Judah and he was a decendant of King David, therefore in the lineage of Jesus. Jehoiachin was the last king of Judah.... until Jesus, the Lion of Judah, came upon the earth.

In the story above we see how God can still extend grace to those who sin against him, even though, by God's will, he was punished for his sins (prison).

Doesn't Jehoiachin represent each of us in a way? We all do evil in the eyes of the Lord. Yet God has extended us grace through His Son, Jesus. And won't we be putting on new clothes in heaven one day? Clothed in righteousness through our faith in Jesus.

And we too will "sit at the Kings table" and be fed all the days of our eternal lives because of our faith in Jesus, a decendant of Jehoiachin.

Jehoiachin is a good reminder of God's righteous judgement, but also of His grace.

"He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free." - Psalm 146:7

Children of The Scorn

What would our world be like if it was run by children? It's hard to say because we can only guess. But here are a few examples from my life this week that might provide us with some clues.

I teach a disc golf class in town. Our first class was this past Thursday. 15 kids showed up to learn. Or so I thought. 

Two of the children were clearly posessed by some sort of evil spirit. It seemed like it anyway. Fighting, cursing, name calling, spitting, disrespect....it wasn't pretty.

I wondered what could possibly be done to solve this problem. Should I kick the kids out of class? Should I talk to their parents? Both? Here's what I did.

First, I did speak to one of the parents - a very nice, loving mother of one of the boys. I mentioned the conflict I had witnessed and offered prayer. Then, the next day, this song came to mind.

"Jesus loves the little children,

All the children of the world.

Red and yellow, black and white,

They are precious in His sight.

Jesus loves the little children of the world."

Notice that the song says ALL the children. Not just SOME of the children. Not just the children who behave.

So, my plan is this: I will love these two troublesome boys. Even though they were disobedient, I will continue to encourage their good shots and discourage their bad behavior.

Am I any different in MY sin that these kids were in theirs? No. Jesus still loves me. Jesus still loves them. Have I already forgotten "the first and greatest commandment? To love God and to love others?

How quickly we forget God's commands when things don't go our way. I must try harder to "love my enemies" this coming week. Not that these boys are my enemies, but they ARE my neighbors.

At the end of my class I demonstrated a throw they would be learning this following week. Without being asked, one of the other students ran down, picked up my disc, and returned it to me.

This last kid demonstrated the heart of a true servant, and the respect she had for her teacher. She also taught her teacher a lesson in grace.

"The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love." - Psalm 103:8

"Any religion without love and compassion is false! It's a lie!" - Burt, Children of The Corn

Your Superpower

Do you know what your superpower is? You have one you know. You might think, "Superpower? You're nuts. I don't have any super power!" Wrong, Kal-El! Everyone is born with at least one super power and most don't even know it.

I was walking out of Walmart the other day and some guy says to me, "I like your shirt."

"My shirt?" I thought to myself.

"Uh, thanks man."

Looking down to see what shirt I was actually wearing, it had the word "Compassion" written on it. Right across the chest. I literally had the word "compassion" written on my heart.

"You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul." - Deuteronomy 11:18

If you haven't already guessed, my superpower is 'compassion,' followed closely by 'encouragement.' But let's get to YOUR super power(s).

To find out what your superpower is you must first examine yourself. What do YOU think it is? What are you good at?

Next, what do others say about you? What do people say that you are? These are your first clues.

These superpower characteristics can come to you in two ways - through life experiences and/or as a gift from God.

Maybe you were born with one or more of these "gifts from God." Or perhaps you received them as the result of painful trials in your life. You alone can detect the path you have walked to develop those gifts.

The Holy Spirit can also give, or enhance, gifts, but you have to be a Christian to receive that. If you give your life to God, be prepared, because your superpowers will take over your life.

There is a list of superpower characteristics written in the Book of Galatians.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." - Galatians 5:22-23

Getting back to the use of Superman's name in the opening paragraph, did you know that 'Kal' means strong and 'El' means God? Well, now you do. And the superpower that everyone has been given by God is to become one of His children through faith in His Son, Jesus.

"Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might, put on the whole armor of God, that you might be able to stand against the scemes of the devil." -Ephesiands 6:10-11

You were given a superpower by God. Use it for His glory. 

The Future

Luke: "Will they die?"

Yoda: "Difficult to see. Always in motion is the future."

Wouldn't it be nice to be able to see into the future? To know what is going to happen before it actually does? Err.....maybe not.

God told his prophets about the future. He told many of them about the Messiah who was to come - Jesus. He also spoke about what would take place at the time of the end. It's all written in the Bible.

So, why do we walk around like none of these teachings matter? Why do we ignore the very words of Almighty God? 

Our main problem, as it has always been, is that we simply don't listen. Some churches don't even teach about the end times. Why not?  These prophecies are written in ithe Bible. They're even spoken by Jesus. Yet many don't teach the full counsel of God.

The Apostle Paul didn't hesitate to teach it.

"I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God." - Acts 20:27

I think the main problem rests with our inability to understand these prophecies. Or we are content with not knowing them. And I'm talking about pastors here.

For those churches with enough understanding to teach Bible prophecy, when they do, the pews are full. So, why not teach it?

Again, Paul writes about this to the church in Corinth. And he gives the reason that many churches, still to this day, do not teach about the end times.

"Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly - mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly." - 1 Corinthians 3:1-3

Today, many churches are still worldly and that's a problem not only for the pastors but also for the people attending those churches.

I encourage you to examine the teachings offered at your church. If you are not being taught the WHOLE Bible, complain to the church leadership. And if they cannot give you a satisfactory reason for their incomplete teaching, leave. Time is short. This is not the time to be pushing this off until next year.

Yoda said that the future was "difficult to see." Dude, it's all written down for you, right in front of your face! Open your Bible!

Jesus, speaking about the suddenness of the end....

“Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all." - Luke 17:26-27

Please, don't get caught without a saving faith in Jesus. As they found out in 'the days of Noah,' when it began to rain it was already too late.

Turnovers

No, this story isn't about tasty treats or fumbles and interceptions, or changing jobs. It's about something God often does to us whenever we are disobedient. And it's not good.

I was scrolling through Facebook the other day and I came across a picture of someone who had decided to become a surrogate mom for a couple who couldn't have kids.

She delivered the baby this week and shared some pictures - her, her husband, the baby, and the two parents to be - two men.

My initial reaction was, "Well, that's kind of disgusting." But then that quickly changed to, "How sad. How sad we've become."

Think about that newborn baby, growing up without a mom - a female mom, that is. I'm no psychological expert but it seems to me that that would be extremely detrimental to the child's mental health.

And surrogacy - if the surrogate is already married, isn't she committing a form of adultery by receiving another man's sperm into herself? Just wondering.

If we look at same-sex couples from a Christian perspective, the first verse that comes to mind is from the Book of Genesis.

"God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them." - Genesis 1:27

And then, in the New Testament, Jesus expands on this:

"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh." - Mark 10:7-8

I suppose one could say, "Well, Jesus says 'wife,' not woman," so as long as one of the men says he's the wife....

Let's go back to Moses and the law that God dictated to him in the Book of Leviticus, remembering that Jesus 'came to fulfill the law, not abolish it' (Matthew 5:17)

"Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable." - Leviticus 18:22

'Yeah, but, that's the Old Testament. We are no longer under the law but under grace, right?'

Then what about this New Testament text from the Apostle Paul:

"Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error." - Romans 1:26-27

As much as same-sex couples might seem to be an affront against God, let me assure you of this: Yes, they are. Whether you like it or not. But also notice in verse 26 where it says that "God gave them over.' What does THAT mean? He let them continue in their sin. He turned them over to Satan and their shameful acts. And that was 2,000 years ago!

God has done this before. In the Book of Job we read where God allowed Satan to torment Job. In other words, God 'turned Job over to Satan.' But that was slightly different. Same-sex couples desire to sin. Job did not sin. But it shows that God CAN and DOES turn people over to Satan.

Surely God's wrath is building up against the 'shameful lusts' of us humans. In my estimation, He will return very soon and begin the last seven years of His patient endurance, called the Tribulation.

Thankfully, you and I will not be here to see it. I don't even want to think about what it will be like for those who are left behind.

One thing is for sure - we all must pray. And keep praying.

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 6:23

Note: We all sin. "No one is good" as Jesus said. That is why we repent of our sins and place our hope and faith in Jesus. He is our only hope.

God's Will

A lot of people (including me) spend a lot of time trying to discern what "God's will" is. We wait months, even years, hoping for some kind of sign or confirmation from God. Yet it never seems to come. Why is that?

Well, it's because God has already told us how to figure out what His will is. So, the problem actually rests with US, not with God.

The solution to all this confusion, of course, is already written in God's Word, the Bible. Here's a good example:

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. THEN you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is - His good, pleasing and perfect will." - Romans 12:2

God gave us two things to do here so we can figure out what His will is.

1. Don't conform to the world.
2. Renew your mind.

THEN. Then we will be able...."to test and see what God's will is.'

Look at the world we live in. Who controls it? Satan. This world therefore is satanic in its ways. So why do we conform to it?

"The god of this world (Satan) has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ" - 2 Corinthians 4:4

Have we become spiritually blind? Have we conformed to the world? Are we acting in Satan's will? Or God's?

For example, there are pastors in churches who are support same-sex marriage. The bishop of the ELCA church is a lesbian. Why has this been allowed? They are conforming to the pattern of this world even though it is against God's will!

According to God's Word, it is very clear what His will in this is and what needs to be done.

"Expel the wicked person from among you.” - 1 Corinthians 5:13

We the people have allowed the redefinition of the phrase "a Christian nation." Therefore we need to repent as a nation. This has nothing to do with Biden or Trump. It has everything to do with us and Jesus.

We have forgotten the first and greatest commandment that God Himself gave us,  and that Jesus Himself reaffirmed in the Book of Matthew. THAT is God's will for our lives. There is nothing to figure out or wait for. Our problem as individuals, and as a nation, is in the application of God's will.

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ - Matthew 22:37-39

God's will is to love Him and to love others. The real question then is, what does that look like in our individual lives?

Compassion, sacrifice, giving, unconditional love, encouragement. If we are not doing these things as Christians, we have a much bigger problem than trying to figure out God's will in our lives.

"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." - Galatians 5:22-23

The Best Thing

Whenever my wife and I go on vacation we always ask each other the same question on our the way home. "What was your favorite thing from this vacation?"

The answers always vary with each vacation it seems. It might be eating at Big Boy, a walk on the beach, or car bingo. This time however our answer was different.

It wasn't anything we did specifically. It was more of a general 'joy.' And, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that this feeling we had, our 'best thing,' is what God wants for us to feel every day.

Our 'best thing' this past week had two parts to it. The first was being away from all of the 'noise.' And by 'noise' I mean no television news to watch and no busy, over-stuffed schedules to keep.

Once that first part got accomplished, part two was a whole lot easier. And that was just simply being with, and enjoying, each other.

For example, my wife wanted to go to a glass blowing shop in a nearby town. We never got there. And why not? We were enjoying ourselves in the moment - eating 'ice cream products' on a shady porch at the visitor center. With a side of people watching.

Our joy became complete simply by just being with each other, wherever we were.

"The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone." - Genesis 2:18

Like I said, I like to play disc golf, and I did so upon occasion, but on our 'ice cream date,' disc golf was the farthest thing from my mind. Why? Our time together was our priority.

Before Adam sinned, he and God had a wonderful time together, enjoying each other's company. Walking through the garden, naming animals....

Later, in Genesis 2:25, Adam and Eve were still in the Garden of Eden. Paradise. "They were naked and felt no shame."

"Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame." - Genesis 2:25

They had no schedules to keep, Eve wasn't fretting over what outfit to wear. Adam didn't foresake his wife to go play golf. Nor did Eve leave her husband to go watch someone blow glass.

Their joy was found with each other and with God.

If both halves of a marriage, or any relationship for that matter, place their own interests last, the relationship will thrive. Why? Because doing so honors God.

“Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” - Mark 9:35

When we think of others and their needs before our own, we become their servant. If both halves of a relationship do that won't we be fulfilling God's desire for us?

Joy is found in God. It is the reward we receive when we place ourselves last, as His servants. As Jesus said, "I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete." John 15:11

"And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known." - In The Garden

In The Garden - Alan Jackson

Three Words

"Thanks for cookin'!"

Three words and a smile. Not much of an effort, but they made someone smile the other day.

My wife and I were staying in a hotel as we visited some of God's creation at Hocking Hills State Park in Ohio.

Each morning we are provided a nice breakfast. Scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, breakfast potatoes, cereal... I'm getting hungry just typing this!

Each time my wife and I stay in a hotel like this, I try to remember to thank the cook for preparing all of the food. I don't always remember, but the other day I did.

I walked into the kitchen area and said, "Thanks for cookin'." The young lady, wearing glasses and brandishing tattoos on both arms, thanked ME for my words and smiled.

Three words. "Thanks for cookin'."

Now, I didn't know what kind of morning she was having, what kind of homelife she had or what her beliefs about God were. But I do know this:

She is God's handiwork. God knew her before the foundation of the earth. And she is loved.

The morning we left the hotel, I stopped in the kitchen again and said the same three words. But this time was different.

"Thank you so much. Have a safe trip home."

I then asked if there was anything I could pray for in her life. 

"Just a general prayer would be great. I'm on the prayer list at my church."

Then she walked over and gave me a hug.

My point is this: It doesn't cost anything to be nice to someone. It doesn't necessarily have anything to do with one's religious beliefs. Although in this case it did.

The world we live in is crazy enough, and who knows; if we pour a little love into the lives of the people we meet, maybe we can make a difference.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” - John 13:34-35

The young woman's name is Melissa, in case you would like to pray for her.