Keys to the Kingdom

Lydia Mae

I have three grandchildren and all of them are sisters. Lydia Mae is the eldest, born on May 2, 2014. Her first name is biblical and her middle name is after her maternal great grandmother, Bertha Mae. Mom was always called Bertha Mae by her family and friends, so whenever I accompanied her to the doctor in her later years, the nurse would call for “Bertha,“ which always sounded odd and wrong. In loving memory of Mom, I’ve always called my granddaughter “Lydia Mae” because it seemed right and kept a part of Mom alive through speaking her middle name. Mom passed away May 30, 2015. Interestingly, one life began and one life ended in the month of May, one year apart.

One morning, after spending the night, I entered Lydia Mae’s bedroom to visit with her before I headed for home. I sat beside her on the edge of the bed and she let me look through her journal. I began turning pages and found a four-page writing that grabbed my attention and heart. She had divided her thoughts into three profound headings. I was so deeply touched by her insight, I asked if I could borrow her journal and share it in one of my columns. She gave her permission; so here’s what she penned:

1. Family Matters Most: My family and friends are what matter most. No matter who they are or what they believe in, they matter more than anything in the world. I’m not saying that you don’t need air, water, money, sleep, and food. They all mean a lot to survival, but what is living if you have no one to live with? If you had no family or friends you would be all alone with no one else around. Life would be harder because there would be no teamwork. One person would have to do everything by themselves. It takes years to build things when you alone are doing things. So now we know we all need each other!

2. Treat each other the way you want to be treated: Treat each other the way you want to be treated is the Golden Rule. It means if you show meanness you will get meanness back. If you show kindness then you will get kindness back. So if you want to be treated kindly then you should treat others kindly.

3. Show Love to Everyone: Show love to everyone just means that you should treat everyone the same, no matter what they look like, sound like, or believe in because everyone is human and deserves to be treated like one. Everyone is special because God created everyone different. Even twins are different, but that shouldn’t affect how people are treated. Now you know.

“Happy Mother’s Day” to all who have loved, nurtured, and inspired their children. I am currently reading through a Bible that my late husband gave to his mother for Easter 2018. (This gift was returned to me when she downsized and moved.) Her son wrote this on the inside cover: “To Mom, Happy Springtime!! He is risen as He said! Thank you for your kindness and patience. You have made the world a lovelier place. I love you, Jimmy.” No matter our age, we never outgrow our need for a mother. It’s nice that a  mother’s influence lasts a lifetime.

The Key: Mothers teach and love their children tenderly so life won’t be so hard.

“Write down ‘rubber bands.’”                                                                                                “Too late now.”

“This Ziploc is too small.”

“Something else is on my list.”

“What is wrong with  me?

“Where are those keys?”

“Should have thought about this before.”

“Start calling your friends before you don’t have any.”

To most people, this looks like a conversation I might start with Dave.  In a way, it is, because to him, when he “hears” me, he assumes I am mumbling or not speaking audibly.  If it were that simple! In actuality, it is an ongoing conversation I have with myself.  Yes, that’s right.  I am talking to myself.

The frequency of this annoyance is increasing.  In the grocery store the other day, while trying to decide which cantaloupe to select, a lady nearby said “Pardon?” after I reminded myself out loud that smelling it might freak out an onlooker.  This is becoming a problem.

Instead of talking to myself, I need to be talking to God.  At a Bible study this past week, the leader pointed out something I’ve never considered (not out loud or to myself).  When Jesus sought solitude to pray to God the night before he was arrested, according to John MacArthur in his book Twelve Ordinary Men, the English language does not do justice to what happened that night.

We read that Jesus “continued all night in prayer to God,” but in Greek it means that he spent the whole night in the prayer of God. “The members of the Trinity were communing with one another.”

MacArthur continues.  “His (Jesus’) prayers were all perfectly consistent with the mind and the will of God—for He Himself is God.”  How does that happen?  Was Jesus talking to Himself? (Alas, something we have in common.)

The author continues.  “Jesus in His humanity needed to pray all night, and Jesus in His deity was praying the very prayer of God.”  Have you ever considered that?  Somewhere in that mix was the Holy Spirit, the third part of the trinity, engaged in this shared time spent in the garden.

Can you imagine being able to ask yourself for whatever you want? What would you request?  A new truck?  A favorable diagnosis?  A dream vacation?  A day without the kids squabbling? If you were Jesus, probably not on his list.  He would only ask for something that lines up with what is best from an eternal perspective.

The difference is distressing.  When I’m talking to myself, I’m not talking to God…or Jesus…or the Holy Spirit.  My mind is rambling, flitting from one thought to another, so why don’t I turn those thoughts to prayer?  “Jesus, please help me find my keys.”  “God, is it too late now, or can you turn this situation into a blessing?”  Lord, please help me find time to call my friends.”  “Holy Spirit, what will others think if I smell this cantaloupe?”

You get the point.  At least if I mutter it out loud and get questionable looks, I can tell people that I am talking to God.  Surely no one will complain to management if that’s my response, unless, of course, I actually smell the fruit.  Some things, as we all know, are left better unsniffed.

Had it not been for sporadic, Christian radio and my excitement to join Dave, his daughters and their families, my drive from Kansas to Nevada (the state, not the town) would have caused me great stress.  The second day of my journey, I drove 13 hours, a record for me, the frustration coming because of my attempts to dodge New Mexico’s highway potholes and, being bored, repetitively pushing radio buttons when there was only static in the airways.

On his phone, Dave was able to track my trip, so if I pulled over (like when I thought my tire fell off after hitting a pothole, causing my anti-skid warning light to come on), he would call to make sure I didn’t damage our mini-van or my body.  He did put our son-in-law on the phone to tell me what to do: check under the car for leaks and the tires for alignment, and push a button to turn off the warning light.  A button I never knew existed.

That being said, when I did luck out and found a radio station, I was surprised at the number of radio hosts who spent their time addressing the end times, supporting their ideas with scripture, the war in Israel, and A.I. That seemed to be the discussion for the day, and I began to wonder: Would I make it to Nevada, or would Jesus snatch me up from wherever I was in New Mexico?  According to the radio “experts,” the latter was a very real possibility.

The fascinating study of end times, according to the bible, is called eschatology, and including the 1999/2000 predictions of the world’s end, I’m not sure I have read/seen as many warnings of these final days as I have since Covid. So, what are we to look for?

Matthew 24:6-14 describes Jesus’ prediction to his disciples, sort of his anti-skid warning for all of us.  There will be “wars and threats of wars … famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. … You will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers. And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold.”

Describing how cold our love will grow, another prediction is found in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 where Paul warns the young pastor of life’s potholes in the last days:  “People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.”                                                                   

What a list!  Yet, it is hard to deny that that is what we are seeing today.  God has watched us remove Him from schools, homes and even churches.  There is little regard for the sanctity of life, sex before marriage is promoted, mental illness and addictions are at an all-time high, churches compete instead of celebrating others’ successes, celebrities (including television pastors) are idolized, cellphone addiction has replaced relationships, counselors are overwhelmed with people feeling “hopeless” and “anxious,” and joy has all but disappeared, including in the Christian community.

As for what day the end will come, the one thing we do know is that there will be no warning light that we can ignore. We also know that we will not add even an hour to our lives by worrying about when this event will happen (Mt. 6:27), we always are to be ready for Jesus’ arrival (Mt. 24:44) by being self-controlled and sober-minded (1 Peter 4:7), and the Lord is patient, wishing that no one should perish, but that all should reach repentance (2 Peter 3:9).

So, the next time a radio host focuses on eschatology, I will find another station, one that addresses what we can do until that time: continue to grow in our faith, love more and trust in God.  Or maybe I’ll just pray.  Yes, I like that idea best.

Keys to the Kingdom By Carolyn Tucker

Get a Move On

When I was a kid, my folks would occasionally tell me to, “Get a move on.“ Where I come from this means, “hurry up” or “let’s go.” I was not one to typically sloom around but sometimes I didn’t want to comply immediately. One time after church, Dad came to me and said, “Let’s go.” I didn’t obey right away and continued to have fun hanging out  with my friends. (This wasn’t the first time I’d not been prompt to obey in this regard.) So after several minutes, I walked toward our usual parking space and discovered the car was gone and so were my parents! Fortunately, my neighbor lady attended the same church, so I just hitched a ride with her. I learned a valuable lesson that day. When Dad said it was time to go, I needed to do the right thing and say my good-byes right away.

Not everything in life happens the exact way we want or expect. When life takes a  detour, it’s normal to feel disappointed. But we need to deal quickly with feelings of disappointment in order to move on in a healthy manner. If you’re disappointed about something right now, I encourage you to push on toward better things ahead and leave the past at the train station. Paul writes to the Church in Phillipi: “…I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead…” (Philippians 3:13 NLT).

When believers go through times of disappointment, we have to quickly get our private thought world in agreement with God’s thoughts. His thoughts and will are found in His life-giving Word. If we have a scrambled-eggs mindset, we can‘t be overcomers or be of help to anybody else. Remaining in a negative place and continuing to stir a skillet of burnt eggs is refusing to let go of the past. God desires that all of His children keep moving forward in hope and faith.

If not dealt with promptly, disappointment can lead to depression. An excellent way to move on is to refuse to live a self-absorbed life. Find someone needy, lonely, or sad and help them move on toward a fresh outlook and new mindset. Just think of it as a three-legged race — when you help others, it will help you too. Finding someone, other than yourself, to focus on is a positive approach. King Solomon had some good advice: “Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer” (Ecclesiastes 4:9,10,12 NLT). We are most alive and happy when we’re loving and actively giving of ourselves because God created us be lovers and givers.

Because of our own life experiences, we can be an encouraging friend to someone who’s bearing a disappointment. The evils of isolation and the values of working together are significant. Compassion and fellowship brings helpfulness and comfort to both parties.

“Do not earnestly remember the former things; neither consider the things of old” (Isaiah 43:18 AMP). We’re supposed to leave our disappointments behind and stop going over old history because it’s a waste of time to brood over what should have and could have happened. Even though disappointment can knock on your door, please don’t make it feel welcome. Don’t let disappointment hang around — act quickly and kick it to the curb.

The Key: When disappointment comes, don’t cop-out, just “get a move on.”

Our son Andy is a coach with a minor league baseball team in Arkansas.  The ballpark has a rule that I find bizarre: the fans may carry in only clear bags.  Not acceptable are purses or back backs or diaper bags.  This mandate has caught on at numerous ballparks, so fans bring clear bags, ranging in size from a submarine sandwich to a microwave. Think Ziploc bags with glitter.  I question how safe the stuffed, larger, see-through bags are, since it would be easy to stick a small pistol down inside the blanket that fills the cavity.  The gatekeepers do not check what’s inside the bag.

“Since your parcel is clear, enter through the turnstile, please.”

It’s sort of how God sees us, isn’t it? Only He sees through our baggage of hidden sins as we try to disguise who we really are but fail miserably at the attempt.  Do you find it as freaky as I do?  There isn’t a thought we have that He doesn’t see.  Selfish motives can’t be hidden from Him.  Judgmental opinions do not escape His notice.  A smiley face will not mask a complaining attitude.  We are incapable of stuffing anything so that it is not seen by our Heavenly Father.

Luke 12:2,3 pulls no punches. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs. The thought terrifies me. Someone once described the judgment seat of Christ as a drive-in movie.  We all will be gathered to watch a big movie screen where God will show the world all our sins and failures.  Talk about a horror movie!  Should that be the case, I will be hidden in the car’s trunk, not unlike the times I did that as a teenager.  And yes, another sin that would be exposed.

The scripture is a little confusing. In 2 Corinthians 5:10 we read that we all will appear before the judgment seat of Christ to give an answer for the things done in the body, whether good or evil.  Would a loving God put us on the hotseat and reveal our sins to the world?   I mean, who of us would invite others over to watch a home video of every way our child disobeyed or messed up?  “And here’s Johnny being taken away in handcuffs for the third time.”  “Oh, look at Susie, sneaking out of her bedroom window at midnight.”  Absolutely not.

Instead, we would show the highlight reel, right?  The winning field goal, the ACT certificate presentation, the proposal.  Good parents don’t shame, and neither does God.  There is nothing in scripture to indicate that our behavior’s discussion is done publicly.  2 Corinthians 5:10 says nothing about our ugly nature being shared with others. (Thank you, Jesus.)

But let’s say it is.  Maybe, instead of our terrible deeds inviting shame and sorrow, they miraculously will inspire wonder and worship at the grace and forgiveness of God.  Instead of looking at each other disdainfully (“You’re really a sicko, you know it?”), our attitude might be, “How amazing is our Father who sent His son, Jesus, to cover our sins!”

There is another option, the one I prefer.  What if there is no bad report?  Instead, there will just be a grand announcement that those ugly scenes from our lives have been washed away because Jesus was made sin for us on the cross.  The same cross where Shame died.

When the day comes that we Christians enter through the pearly gate, unlike the ballpark, there will be nothing we have to hide. We will enter through the Jesus gate, and that will be enough.                                                                                                                                                         Yes, I will go with that option.

Keys to the Kingdom By Carolyn Tucker

This walk down memory lane is one of my stupidest childhood escapades. During third-grade recess in 1967, my best friend, Jonita, was standing at the top of the slide while I was standing at the landing of the slide. I don’t know why, but I tossed a small rock up the slide and accidentally hit her in the forehead. I wasn’t aiming at her head (if I had I would have missed.) I’m not left-handed but I’ve always thrown a ball with my left hand which probably explains why I can’t hit the side of a barn. But on that day, my random aim was right on target for pain. Thankfully, Jonita wasn’t seriously hurt, but there was blood and a flabbergasted look on both of us. Before writing this column, I asked her if she remembered our recess fiasco and she said that she didn’t. Since I was the stone thrower, I remember the incident well because I felt so awful.

In Jesus’ day, the religious scholars and Pharisees seemed to be ready, willing, and able to stone anyone they deemed needed to die. These religious leaders erred on the side of criticism and condemnation. Dottie Rambo wrote a song in 1978 entitled, “He was the Talk of the Town“ with the lyrics referencing John 8:1-11. “The scribes and the Pharisees, brought a woman to be stoned. ‘Now Moses’ Law says you must die for the sin that you have done!’ The Master didn’t speak a word, He just wrote upon the ground. When they read the news there was none to accuse; He was the talk of the town.” Jesus didn’t deny the provision of the Law, but He challenged any sinless religious leader to cast the first stone. Fortunately, they all walked away with nothing to say or throw.

As modern-day believers, are we more ready to stone people or are we more apt to love people? Just imagine carrying a heavy backpack full of stones everywhere we go. It would be much better if we didn’t carry the weight of that unnecessary burden. It’s not our job to condemn anyone. Even Jesus didn’t condemn. He told the woman caught in the act of adultery, “I certainly don’t condemn you either. Go, and from now on, be free from a life of sin” (John 8:11 TPT.)

In the same chapter, we find the Pharisees extremely offended and angry with Jesus. “At that point they picked up stones to throw at Him. But Jesus was hidden from them and left the Temple” (John 8:59 NLT). Historical records substantiate that there were workmen repairing or building additions to the temple at this particular time. So the stones the Pharisees threw toward Jesus were pieces of stone which had been hewed off by the construction crew.

It would be better to carry around some extra cash to give away when a good opportunity arises than to carry a gunnysack full of rocks. Let’s look for someone to help rather than condemn. Christ followers are to live and practice the truth of the Gospel. There are  ample opportunities to open our heart and hand toward the misfortunate, lost, and hurting. We can choose to fill our days showing love, mercy, and loving-kindness like Jesus did.

“Dear friends, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born again because of what God has done. That person knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love” (1 John 4:7-8 NIRV.) Our beliefs, words, and actions must square up with the teachings of Jesus.

The Key: If you love others, you won’t throw rocks at ‘em — unless it’s an accident.

This wasn’t like Dave.  History had proven that.  My husband was more like a weed-eater or vacuum kind of guy.  Not a jewelry gifter.  But clearly, the evidence was proving otherwise.

The notice came in my Email that Dave had made a purchase at FDJ Claddagh Jewelry C. Jewelry for $134.98 and charged it on our credit card.  May I repeat…Soooo not like him, not to mention, if he purchased some gems, he would go to Bartelsmeyer’s in Fort Scott.  Still, I, unlike almost all of my friends, am not a jewelry kind of person. Dave knows that.

There was, however, a possibility that FDJ Claddagh Jewelry C. Jewelry was going out of business and everything was 99% off which certainly would peak my husband’s attention and probably persuade him to surprise me with some earrings or a bracelet or a jewel-laced bobby pin.  Yes, a possibility. But why would Dave put this charge on our shared credit card, the one that alerted me of every purchase?  He would ruin the surprise. A “senior moment,” perhaps?

All day long, I was confounded. What if this, instead of being a very generous, upcoming anniversary gift from my husband, was credit card fraud?  If I asked Dave, insinuating that it was, I would be admitting that I didn’t expect him to purchase a piece of jewelry. What a way to destroy his attempt to do something special! How could I be so heartless?  (Had jewelry stores sold battery chargers or leaf blowers, I wouldn’t have given it another thought.)

But what if Dave hadn’t made this purchase?  What if I let this go and the criminal who abused our card did it again and that person didn’t pay attention to the credit card alert and ended up going bankrupt and had to live under a bridge for the rest of his/her life?

I spoke to my girlfriend about it.  She said I definitely could NOT ask Dave.  Period.

I listened intently to all of her reasons and then…

I asked him.

He had made no such purchase.  Immediately, he called our credit card company to report the fraud.  His card was deactivated and a new card will be sent.

What I don’t understand is this:  how are people able to get away with this?  On the back of our cards, Dave and I have written “See ID.”  Why don’t the register attendants look at the signature?  Why are they so trusting?

I am grateful for the alert my credit card sent me. My girlfriend’s 83-year-old mother gave away most of her life savings (over $100,000) in increments of $10,000 when she was threatened by someone impersonating the I.R.S.  She will never get that money back.  She had no credit card company to alert her to the fraud.

God has used this situation to get my attention. It’s easy for me to fault a sales clerk for not being alert, but am I not equally as guilty, and with a much more serious issue at stake? 1 Peter 5:8: Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. When we are not on our toes, when we stop looking to God’s Word for advice, we will find ourselves in danger much more deadly than a fraudulent jewelry charge.  Colossians 4:2 reminds us where we need to stay alert: Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving.

My friends and I were talking about how we need to improve our prayer life.  Many times, our praise, requests and thanks are lacking in a heart-knowledge of the recipient of our words.  One friend shared that at a dinner party, a guest asked if he could say grace.  The hostess was thrilled he had volunteered.  With heads bowed, he said this: “Grace.”  And then he laughed.  I wonder if God did.

Keys to the Kingdom By Carolyn Tucker

Today’s society likes to give ratings and many businesses encourage consumers to rate their experience concerning services or products. With the five choices of (1) very poor, (2)  poor, (3) average, (4) good, (5) excellent, receiving a five-star rating is as good as it gets. After a recent church service, I told my Pastor that he delivered a six-star message (I thought it was “over the top.”) In my mind, that was the same as giving him an A+!  I sure hope he didn’t think I was giving him a 6 out of 10. Maybe that’s why he gave me that funny look.

When God created the heavens and the earth, “God saw that it was good” was recorded five times in the Book of Genesis as a summary statement. But on the sixth day, when He created man (humankind) in His own image, He upped His own rating from good to very good: “Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good” (Genesis 1:31 NKJV). Since Yahweh is a five-star God, I prefer to believe that “very good” is the same as “excellent” and that’s as good as it gets.

Before he became king, David penned the following psalm: “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him!” (Psalm 34:8 NKJV). David could say that the Lord was good by his personal experience. He placed his faith in a never-failing God. David experienced many turbulent circumstances but they never shook him loose from God’s promises to protect and deliver him. “You have done many good things for me, Lord, just as You promised (Psalm 119:65 NLT). If believers will only taste (give God a chance), we’ll see (experience) His goodness in our lives.  

Because we have an excellent 5-star God, we should desire to step up to the plate and serve Him with excellence. As His ambassadors, we represent Christ  in everything we do and say. The rubber meets the road outside the walls of the church building. When the pressure is on, the following thoughts may cross your mind: “This is good enough.” “I don’t have time to do it right.” “I’ll do better next time.” “Nobody cares, so why should I?” “I’m just guessing; I hope I spelled his name correctly.” I’m sure grateful that God never has a lazy or lousy mindset about His responsibilities.

Peter boldly reminds believers that we have an important job to do. “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9 ESV). Just like a mannequin in the store window, we’re to display the excellent virtues of Jesus. I’ll be the first to admit, there are times when I feel like a dummy because I thoughtlessly said or did something unkind. Regretfully, I didn’t represent Jesus well in that moment. But, thankfully, there’s mercy and forgiveness for a dummy’s repentant heart. “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever” (Psalm 107:1 NKJV). “For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and His faithfulness continues to each generation” (Psalm 100:5 NLT).  

The Key: God is good. God is very good. God is excellent.

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you taller, nicer, richer, more popular, more creative, less wrinkly.”  If you know scripture, you know that’s not how Matthew 4:16-17 reads.  Jesus is choosing his disciples, and when he sees Simon and his brother Andrew fishing, he tells them to follow him and ends with “and I will make you fishers of men.” And here’s the cool part.  Immediately, they put down their nets and followed Jesus.

Just down the shore there was a boat. In it was a man, Zebedee, with his two sons, James and John. They had finished fishing and were mending their nets. Jesus called out to James and John, and they too, stopped what they were doing and followed Jesus.

Immediately.  Not after they ran home to explain to their wives that fishing would no longer be their #1 profession and they had no idea how they would support their family.  Not after they asked their friends’ advice on the prospects of following a complete stranger.  Not after they skinned and fileted the fish they already had caught.  Not after Jesus explained to them how this “fishers of men” profession would play out.  Nope.  None of that.                                         Immediately.

Yesterday, here at the lake, I watched from my deck as two fishermen patiently trolled in their boat near our dock.  I could hear them discussing the fish they hopefully would catch as well as the bait needed to be successful.  They were in no hurry.  If it took all day, so be it, and if today wasn’t the jackpot, there was always tomorrow.  It’s no wonder Jesus chose fishermen to be in his inner circle.  They inherently had characteristics necessary to share his way with others: patience, dedication, determination, focus and willingness to learn.

Jesus saw these men not as they were (dirty, smelly, uneducated) but as what he could turn them into (disciples who would give up everything to follow the Messiah).  Jesus wants to do the same for us.  But first, we have to choose to follow, to sacrifice what we consider important, to change our goals, before he can make us fishers of men.

Those future disciples had no idea how much their decision to follow Jesus would change the world.  The Bible is filled with how their imperfections, fears and inabilities were made perfect, fearless and capable, following Jesus’ resurrection.  Until then, they just followed…and sometimes, not well.  They listened as Jesus preached yet failed him when he needed them most at his crucifixion. They questioned what honors they would get in Heaven and panicked when Jesus asked them to use their faith to feed the crowds.  Still, except for the betrayer Judas, they all followed, and because of that, the Church was born.

Somehow the Church has done a great job of making Jesus-believers, but a horrible job of making Jesus-followers, people who sacrifice much (all!) to demonstrate their love for him.  In Jesus’ day, crowds too “followed” him, some to be healed, some out of curiosity, some because they hated him, and some because they believed in the faith about which he spoke.  There comes a time in all of our lives when we have to make a very personal decision to follow Christ, even though in this world of “every man for him/herself,” to follow Jesus, to be conformed to his image by growing in holiness, can be a lonely place.

Jesus has extended the invitation.  How shall we respond?