The Longer I Serve Him

/ pastorpete51 / 2 Comments 
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. 2 Timothy 4:7-8 ESV



Even as a young person, I always kind of liked this song, though it really was neither my style nor my story at the time. I kind of figured it had been written by one of the old fuddy-duddys at some church far away and long ago, but it did have a sweet feeling to it. Recently when I began singing it for the residents at various of the nursing homes which I visit, I began looking into the origins of the composition and was shocked to discover that it had been written by Bill and Gloria Gaither before they even turned thirty!


That is the way it is with God’s inspiration. He shares His riches with those whom He likes, and they have a timeless appeal, precisely because the music comes from Him. I hope you will be touched and blessed by my simple rendering of the Gaither’s classic, “The Longer I Serve Him The Sweeter He Grows”. I also pray that as you embark upon the challenges, difficulties and adventures of the New year, that you will discover how sweet and great a blessing it is to be serving Jesus no matter what your age!

Breakfast With Jesus

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Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask Him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. John 21:12 ESV

It is curious to me that like two bookends, the disciples’ experiences with Jesus were bracketed by two unlucky fishing trips. The first day with Him as well as the last, began with a morning meeting. In the first, (Luke 5:10), Jesus tells them, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” Then, for three and a half years, as they followed, Jesus taught them about heaven and showed them what it looked like, as He gave sight to the blind, cleansed the lepers, and fed the crowds with only a few loaves of bread.

In the same way, Jesus calls us to follow and to fish for Him. But it does seem that a lot of our fishing, just like the disciples, looks like pulling in empty nets. But Jesus also taught about planting seeds, and He said that good seed in good soil would yield a good harvest. Now harvest time is great, but most of the year on a farm is not about picking apples, grapes, or corn. A farmer’s days are filled by waiting for seeds to germinate, watering them, and then pulling weeds. Yes, the corn gets taller, the apples grow larger, and grapes begin to fill the vines, but harvest time comes at the end, not the beginning of the season. But if we faithfully follow Jesus, casting nets and pulling weeds, our harvest or catch of fish will one day come. Though our labors may seem to be unrewarded, Jesus is working all night as well and He is waiting for our arrival. As Christians, our end comes not at night, but at dawn. So, listen, He is calling you, “Come my child, bring what you have caught, sit by my side and let’s have breakfast together in Heaven!”

Every Detail His Design

/ pastorpete51 / 7 Comments

The length of each curtain shall be twenty-eight cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits; all the curtains shall be the same size. Five curtains shall be coupled to one another, and the other five curtains shall be coupled to one another. Exodus 26:2-3

Though I love Nancy more than the day, fifty-two years ago when we said, “I do!” sometimes she makes me crazy! Sitting down to dinner, I get told there is a right way and wrong way to set the knife and fork by my plate, and that the napkins can only point in one direction. But when I read the book of Exodus, I find that in many ways God’s attention to details is a lot like hers. In today’s verse I wondered about the thoughts running through the mind of Moses while God dictated to him His instructions for building the tabernacle. Did he ever question why all of this was important. After all, when God had met him at the burning bush, He spoke of delivering the Israelites from Egypt to, “…bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey…” Exodus 3:8

But what About that Promised Land?!

Somewhere between the purple curtains and the goatskin outer covering, Moses might have wanted to ask, “Hold the presses God! Where is the milk and honey that You mentioned at the beginning?” But Moses had been through too much to question the God who went from sending frogs into the Egyptians bread dough to parting the Red Sea. Every step of the way, through every detail of their struggles, and fears, God had been working out His plan. And, in the middle of all the details, issues, bumps and bruises of your life God is still working out the details. He delights in watching over sparrows and lost lambs. The same God of Niagara Falls is the one who fills the brook with crawdads. He directs everything in His creation, and this same God of tabernacle curtains, and plagues also cares for us. He has generously given us both daily bread and the life of His only Son to forgive our sins. And right now, God invites us to a place of wondrous purple curtains, angels and lampstands, and best of all, a place at His table. There we will discover that through each major stumble and tiny heartache, every frustration and forgiveness that He has been working for our good through every detail according to His loving and mysterious design!

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