Acts 7:8 NLT “He replied, ‘The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know.’ ” I struggle with having patience. I always open the microwave before it dings, I coax along the red traffic light, and I seriously hate being late. I feel like I am always in a state of busyness, rushing from one task to the next and never setting aside the time needed to listen and rest. The Message translation puts the above scripture like this “He told them, ‘You don’t get to know the time. Timing is the Father’s business.’ ” How often I wish that I could accelerate God’s timing so that it better aligns with my own. The thing is, if that were possible, I would make a mess of things. 2 Peter 3:9 tells us “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” God isn’t taking His time just for the sake of taking His time. He isn’t dragging the process out, holding out on you, or withholding His…

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first”: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words” I Thessalonians 4:16-18 Someone in our country is holding a lottery ticket worth sixty-eight million dollars. I have never purchased a lottery ticket and have no desire to do so. I could not imagine the tension and stress of waiting for the announcement of the winner.  Millions of tickets have been sold and only one person has won the jackpot. The rest will all be disappointed. I am so glad that I have a ticket to the greatest event that will ever happen. I did not purchase it; it was purchased for me when Jesus shed His precious blood on Calvary’s cross. When the trumpet sounds and the Lord returns for His church, everyone who has accepted His gift will obtain their reward. Jesus will not shuffle the names listed…

“Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day.”  Joshua 14:12 For forty long days, the twelve spies had searched the land of Canaan, and now they headed back to pack up their families and bring them across to the land the Lord had promised. As they journeyed, perhaps Caleb shared with Joshua his dream of Hebron being his inheritance. But as they returned to their camp and began to share what they had found with Moses and the rest of the people Caleb’s heart became heavy.  They had all been impressed with the prosperity in the land and had even brought back some of the fruits to show everyone. But ten of the men began to share how strong the people of the land were and expressed their doubts about being able to conquer them. Joshua and Caleb tried to persuade them, saying: “ “Let us go up at once, and possess it for we are well able to overcome it.” Numbers 13:30 Because the people would not listen to them, God caused them to wander in the wilderness for forty more years, during which all the older generations passed away, except for Joshua and…

“And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity;  And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.  And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.” Luke 2:36-38 Yesterday, we considered Simeon’s story, and it is important that we look at another person who was there, listening to Simeon’s prophecy and blessing. Today we will look at Anna and her place in God’s Word. Luke doesn’t tell us much about Anna, and she is not mentioned anywhere else in Scripture.  He does tell us she was about eighty-four years old. I just turned eighty-five this year, so we have something in common. But there are some differences. I have had a good life. God blessed me with a good husband, and we had 35 great years together. I have wonderful children, two of whom are active in the work of the…