Revive us again

   “Will You not revive us again, That Your people may rejoice in You? Show us Your mercy LORD, And grant us Your Salvation.” (Psalms 85:6-7)

 

 

   These words from Psalms 85 are a precious prayer to our Lord to do what only He can do for the nation of Israel and for our nation today also. This Psalm was written by the sons of Korah and is a wonderful cry to God, as a people remembered just who it is that is responsible for our well being and the only One we can depend upon in times of trouble like we are going through today. It begins like this:

 

   “LORD, You have been favorable to Your land; You have brought back the captivity of Jacob. You have forgotten the iniquity of Your people; You have covered their sin. You have taken away all Your wrath; you have turned from the fierceness of Your anger.” (verses 1-3)

 

   God had been favorable to the land of Israel. He had taken them out of captivity in Egypt and later would return them from captivity in Babylon. He had forgotten about His anger over their sin, and was no longer punishing them for forsaking Him so often. God has been favorable to this country (the USA) over the past 300 years. He brought people here who wanted to worship God, without the restraints of the old world. He has blessed this country beyond what any nation in the world has been blessed with; a good government, natural resources and beauty, good leaders, and safety from the domination of other countries unlike any other nation throughout history. 

  

    “I will hear what God the LORD will speak, For He will speak peace To His people and to His saints; But let them not turn back to folly. Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him. That glory may dwell in our land.” (verses 8-9)

 

   Are you and I hearing what the Lord speaks to us in the Scriptures? He speaks peace to our hearts because He teaches us his statues and how to know Him personally. But we can’t turn back to the folly we were in before we were saved, and we must fear (stand in awe) of Him as He speaks to our hearts and gives us the desire to serve Him wherever He has placed us. 

 

   “Mercy and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed. Truth shall spring out of the earth, And righteousness shall look down from heaven. Yes, the LORD will give what is good; And our land will yield its increase. (verses 10-12)

 

   What an awesome word picture! “Mercy and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed.” God brings the best things together for His people. The Lord give His best for His servants that are living for Him and he will provide the increase for our land if we are faithful to love Him and obey His commandments.

 

  Finally the psalmist declares: “Righteousness will go before Him, And shall make His footsteps our pathway.” (verse 13)

  

   God leads the way with His righteousness, and we can follow in His footsteps as we allow Him to live through us, and be obedient to the things He has showed us in His Scriptures, and has prompted us with His Holy Spirit. 

 

PRAY

 

1.    Lord, we praise You and magnify Your Holy Name. We praise You for Your mercy, grace, and longsuffering with us each and every day. You are our faithful Lord, our loving Father, and benevolent King!

2.    Revive our hearts, Oh Lord, and start with my heart. I need Your Spirit to guide me and fill me with Your loving guidance so that I can follow in the footsteps You have prepared for me today.

3.    In You “Mercy and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed.” We can live for You only because Your Spirit is in us and will take us on the right path. Help me to be obedient to Your leading today.

 

 

 

 

 

But even though....

 

   “And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, an He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.’ Then He who sat on the throne said. ‘Behold I make all things new.’ And He said to me. ‘Write, for these words are true and faithful.’” (Revelation 21:3-5) 

 

   I know you have heard the expression: “Nothing is sure in this life except death and taxes.” Well, I think you know that occasionally someone gets out of paying taxes (if even only for a short time). But I am pretty sure you have not ever known anyone who didn’t eventually die or who will die. “It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27) But the good news is that all those who are followers of Christ, who have a personal relationship with Him will live eternally with Him in the manner described above in the book of Revelation.

 

   You have God’s word on it directly from His Son, Jesus! ‘’’And if I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am there you may be also.’” (John 14:3) He even told the thief on the cross, “And Jesus said to him, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, today you shall be with Me in paradise.’” (Luke 23:43)

 

   Pastor Gordon Macdonald tells this story about someone he knew that was dying:

 

   “My neighbor’s wife was dying of cancer. I was at the hospital with him as we waited for her life to end. It was a difficult moment because she thrashed about in her bed in semiconsciousness. And no medication or medical treatment seemed to bring her a modicum of rest. It was clear to me that the physicians and nurses had exhausted every means at their disposal to assist her in this dying hour. And it was a difficult thing for them because during her illness they had all come to love her. So their professional poise was affected by emotional attachment.

 

    I am not given to this kind of thing, but I felt impelled to ask permission to step to her bedside. In turn the medical personnel surrounding the bed stepped back. It was clear that they welcomed anything that anyone, including a pastor could do. 

 

   I placed both of my hands on J_______’s emaciated shoulders, now thinned by the ravages of this terrible ordeal, and I gently pressed her back into her pillow. 

 

  ‘J________,’ I said, ‘its Pastor Mac. Listen to me! Are you listening? Do you hear me?’

 

   She looked at me with eyes that were filled with fear, almost panic. ‘Yes, Pastor Mac, I hear you.’

 

   ‘J_______, I’m going to say something to you, and I want you to listen as carefully as you can. Don’t move, don’t speak, just listen! OK?’

 

   ‘Yes, Pastor Mac,’ she whispered, ‘I’m listening.’

 

   And then I reached deep into my soul for the simplest, most familiar words of the Bible. Words that I now ponder every Thursday when I think of the God who is there. And I said,  ‘The Lord is my shepherd….I have everything I need….He makes me to lie down in green pastures… He leads me to still waters…He restores my soul…He leads me on the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake…And even though…and even though…even though I walk through the valley of death…I am not afraid…I have nothing to fear…Do you hear that, J______, nothing to fear… because You are with me.

 

   ‘J_____, we’ve know each other for a lot of years, and we’ve talked about this moment  when any one of us might go to be with Jesus. You’re going first, J______. He’s a wonderful Shepherd, and He’s ready to take good care of you. Do you hear me, J______? He’s ready to take good care or you.’

 

   I felt the anxiety, the panicky energy, leave her. He eyes became soft, and she relaxed in her bed. And then I listened as, with a calm voice, she turned to her husband and whispered, calling him by name,  ‘Thank you for being good to me, for loving me. You’re a good husband, and I love you.’

 

   And then J_____ looked at her daughter, ‘Mommy loves you, dearest; be strong for Daddy,’ and then to the medical personnel who stood there, ‘Thank you for taking such good care of me; thank you for all you have done. I love you all.’

 

   Almost instantly, following those words J_____ closed her eyes and went to sleep. A few moments later she met the Shepherd face-to-face, crossed the threshold of death, and understood for the first time the full meaning of everlasting life.

   And that is why we love to sing with increasing frequency:

 

    When we’ve been there ten thousand years,

    Bright shinning as the sun,

    We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise

     Than when we’d first begun.”

 

(Gordon MacDonald, The Life God Blesses, pp 166-168)

 

   Yes, we don’t like to think too much about death. We know it is coming. We know that we will go the way of all men. But if you do think about it today, what do you believe will happen? If we are children of the King (Jesus), then we don’t have to worry! We can relax now, and we can even relax on our death bed.  We can look forward to that glorious day when we meet our Savior face-to-face! 

 

 

PRAY

 

1.    Thank you Lord for dying on that cross that we might have our sins forgiven and that all who call you Savior, will inherit eternal life.

2.    Help us to live each day for you so that when You call us home to live with You for eternity we can hear those wonderful words: “Well, done, good and faithful servant, enter into your rest.”

3.    Fill me with Your Spirit today that I may be used by You to minister to others that come into my path today, and if they don’t know You I will be able to tell them about how You have changed my life, and assured me of the life to come. 

My Judge and my Redeemer

 

   “Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” (II Timothy 4:8) 

 

   “Then they remembered that God was their rock, And the Most High God their Redeemer.” (Psalms 78:35)

 

   Perhaps you are like me and there was a time in your life, or maybe even now, you had or have a little trouble comprehending that the Bible describes our Lord as a “righteous judge” and our “Redeemer.”

 

   How can He be our judge and at the same time the one who was willing to go to the cross and pay the penalty for our sins? He took the punishment that we deserved and only He could make the payment that we owe for our wicked and deceitful hearts. If you maybe think that you are not so wicked, remember the words of Jeremiah: “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9)

 

    My wife and I just finished reading Gordon MacDonald’s book, The Life God Blesses and in it he relates a story that I think does a good job of answering this question. He says it is an old story he has heard many times, but I confess, I don’t think I had heard it myself.

 

  “As children we were often told, for illustrative purposes, of a courtroom scene, of a judge who calls for the next case only to discover that his son stands before him accused of a serious auto violation. The evidence is presented, and it is unimpeachable. And when it is time for the verdict, the judge can only say with judicial firmness, ‘Guilty!’

 

   The judge is not free to overlook the seriousness of his son’s offense. He cannot claim family privilege because his loyalty must be to the law and its supreme demand for justice. And so the guilty verdict is pronounced, and with it, the accompanying penalty. A stiff fine.

 

   But then something different happens, the storyteller says. As the defendant is led away to the place where he must pay, the judge leaves the bench, removes his judicial robe, and joins his son at the desk where fines are paid. He is no longer the judge; he is a loving father. 

 

    He lays his hand upon his son’s shoulder as he identifies with him and his predicament. Why, he even reaches into his pocket and finds the cash that will help his son fulfill his obligation to the law. Two people have acted here; the man who is the judge and the man who is the redeemer. A rescue, a redeeming event has happened here. Justice has been properly served and so has love. Both are the same person. 

 

   The Greek word for redemption (agorazo) is related to the notion of entering a slave market and purchasing a slave for the purpose of setting him free. …….I am often caused to picture the powerful Jesus entering the marketplace, where I am a slave to the sin that the Father has judged so severely, and setting me free.

 

   This is great theology, It brings relief to the troubled soul; it brings delight. Horatio Spafford wrote a great song in the midst of a terrible personal tragedy more than a hundred years ago. One verse of the song reads,

 

    My sin---

    Oh, the bliss of this glorious thought, 

    My sin---

   Not in part but the whole,

    Is nailed to the Cross,

   And I bear it no more: 

   Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,

   O my soul!

 

And then the simple refrain, one phrase repeated twice:

 

   It is well with my soul.

   It is well with my soul. 

 

   In a world where it is said, nothing is free, redemption is. Free to one who moves toward the Cross, kneels, and receives the gift of redemption. (Gordon MacDonald, The Life God Blesses, pp. 161-162)

 

 

  PRAY

 

1.    Lord, I thank You that you are a righteous Judge that hates sin. I thank You that your standard is high, but that I don’t have to pay the price that You have already paid for me.

2.    Help me this day to remember that I am but “dust” but, You care about me. You know everything there is to know about me and yet You still love me, and have adopted me as Your son or daughter.

Fill me with Your Spirit today, that I may be used by You to tell others about Your grace and mercy to me and to all who will call upon your 

Faithful witnesses

    “And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring good tidings of good things!’” (Romans 10:15)

 

 

    I recently received a phone call from an old friend, David Rollins, who I had not seen for nineteen years. He was calling to say hello and it was great to hear from him. About twenty years ago Miriam and I had gone with him and his wife and two others on a short-term mission trip to Argentina. 

 

    It was a special trip for many reasons. We were privileged to work with a small church in a poor neighborhood in Buenos Aires and we were able to speak about Jesus in an elementary school and walk door to door in the neighborhood with members of their church, where many people gave their lives to Jesus. On one occasion, I was with Miriam and a lady we were talking too, said that she had dreamed the night before that two people that looked like us, would show up at her door!  (In her dream she had also seen the picture that was on the Evangecube that we were using to present the gospel.) Miriam was able to quickly quote II Corinthians 6:2: “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold now it the day of salvation.” She accepted Christ shortly after that, and we were greatly encouraged to see that the Holy Spirit had gone before us to prepare the hearts of the people to hear the gospel message!

    

    Another thing we did was present a drama without words titled “The Redeemer” in the small parks where people gathered on weekends. (The drama depicted God creating the world, man sinning and turning his back on God, and then God sending Jesus to die on a cross to redeem us from our sins.) We would present the drama and then break up into small teams to talk to the people about what they had just seen. 

 

   On one occasion, after we had finished the drama I remember seeing David, quickly grabbing his Bible, and together with his wife, Sherry and the translator, hurrying off to talk to a group about Jesus. Immediately the Scripture that is at the top of the page came to my mind. “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring good tidings of good things.” The excitement on their faces and the joy they had in telling others about Jesus! It was a beautiful picture that is burned into my mind of how my Savior wants me to act every chance I get to tell others about Him.

 

    As I write this entry today, I am reminded again that I need to have that same excitement and joy that David and Sherry demonstrated that day that still holds a special place in my heart. Lord, help me to be like that today! How about you? When was the last time you told someone what Jesus has done for you? 

    “Be a walking, talking, living example of what you preach, in every silent moment of your life, known and unknown; bear the scrutiny of God, until you prove that you are indeed an example of what He can do, and then “make disciples of all the nations.”’  (Oswald Chambers, Workmen)

 

PRAY

 

1.    Lord, thank you for dying on a cross for me and making it possible for me to become Your adopted son or daughter.

2.    Fill me with Your Spirit today and use me to tell someone about Your love and faithfulness to me and to all who call upon Your Name!

Help me to keep close to you in prayer and the reading of Your Word so that I am prepared to talk to others about 

Revival in Wales, part two

  “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.” (Acts 2:1)

 

 

   Rees Howell was a young man from Wales who had been pursuing a business career in the United States and had returned to Wales right after the revival in Wales had occurred. He had been saved and given his life over to Christ while in the U.S. and on his return he threw himself into expanding the gospel to those parts of Wales that had not yet responded to the revival. Here is his description of what had happened in Wales:

 

    “In a short while the whole country was aflame,” he said. “Every church was stirred to its depths. Strong men were in tears of penitence, and women moved with a new fervor. People were overpowered by the Spirit as on the day of Pentecost, and were counted as drunken men. In the services they were praying, singing, and testifying. It was a church revival, turning Christians everywhere into witnesses: ‘Certainly we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.’”(Acts 4:20) (Rees Howells Intercessor, by Norman Grubb, p.33)

 

   Norman Grubb goes on to describe in detail what had happened: “The presence and power of the Holy Ghost in the church has always been a fact recognized by true  believers; so it was not so much a case of asking Him to come as acknowledging His presence, and very soon realizing His power. But often they had to pray out the hindrances to blessing: disobedience and unforgiving hearts were two sins that were constantly dealt with. On the other hand, obedience to the promptings of the Spirit and open confession of Christ brought down the blessing. 

 

   Once the first hymn was given out, the meeting conducted itself. There was no leader, but the people felt an unseen control. Speakers were often interrupted by a chorus of song and prayer, but there was no sense of discord or break in the harmony. There was noise, excitement and emotion in the meetings, but it was only the effect of people being freed from bondage. When some complained, one old preacher replied that he preferred the noise of the city to the silence of the cemetery!

 

   The Revival proved what the Holy Ghost could do through a company of believers who were of one spirit and of one mind as on the day of Pentecost. The church had seen over and over again what the Lord could do through a yielded evangelist or pastor, such as Moody or Finney, but in the Welsh Revival it was divine power manifested through the church. The Keynote was, ‘Bend the church and save the world.’” (Rees Howells Intercessor, by Norman Grubb, pp. 33-34)

 

   Rees Howell knew that after the revival had swept the country there were still some villages that had not responded to moving of the Holy Spirit. So he, and some others, took it upon themselves to go to one of those villages to live and to show the people there just what it meant to be a spirit filled Christian. They had never seen such a sight when they entered the village. There were beer barrels out in the open and people were drinking and gambling. The name of the village was aptly named Hell-fire Row. The first house they visited was occupied by two drunkards and they became the first converts. They then opened their house for Bible study and soon many in the village came to know Christ!

 

   I don’t know about you but I love stories about our God doing wonderful things for His people. I love the stories in the Bible, and I love stories of men and women like Rees Howell who were sold out for Jesus and lived their lives in total abandonment to His service. What can I learn from their examples? Will I be like Paul or Peter, Moses or Daniel? Will I be like Rees Howell, D.L Moody, or Billy Graham?  No, I probably will not. But if I surrender myself completely to the Lord and am obedient to those things that He has called me to do, then I will have been faithful to my calling! Oh Lord help me to be faithful.

 

   What is God calling us to do today as the body of believers we call the church? If we call ourselves Christians, He is calling us to live out our lives for Him in our everyday activities. Am I looking for the leading of the Spirit to show me where and to whom He wants me to witness for Him? Am I obedient to His voice and gentle nudging? Oh Lord, help me to be so!

 

Want to read more about revivals? Check out blogs: Revival in the Congo (4/11/2020), Revival in America (12/13/18), or Revival in South Africa (12/2/16)

 

 

PRAY

 

1.    Lord, open the eyes of my heart and help me to be sensitive to the needs of those around me who don’t know who you are and need to know You.

2.    Help me to be more faithful in prayer for my neighbor and others you have put into my life.

3.    Keep me close to You and Your Word and help me to respond promptly to the leading of Your Spirit today. 

4.    Thank You for loving us so much that You would die on that old rugged cross to redeem us from sin and hell.

Revival in Wales

   “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)

    I suspect you have heard this Scripture read many times from many different pastors and laymen. God has explicitly told us what our part is in preparing for a revival in our heart, in our home, in our church, or in our nation. Sadly, we are usually not too good at following the Lord’s instructions and we have not seen when our Lord has come down and healed our land. One of the most awesome examples of our God demonstrating what He will do, if we follow these simple instructions is found in the revival in Wales during 1904-1905. (If you are geographically challenged, Wales is in the southwest corner of the island of Britain and, along with England, Scotland, and Northern Island, make up the United Kingdom.)

   The following is an account of that revival taken from Fresh Encounter, by Henry and Richard Blackaby.

   “Evan Roberts was deeply concerned about the spiritual condition of Wales, his native land. Roberts began his adult life working at a local coal mine. For 13 years he prayed daily that God would revive the churches of his country. In 1904 Roberts surrendered to God’s call on his life and enrolled in a Bible college. Roberts became actively involved in a group of students who regularly met to pray for revival and to promote spiritual renewal in area churches.

    At the end of a midweek service, Seth Joshua, an evangelist, closed the meeting praying, ‘Lord, bend us.’ The Holy Spirit drove these simple words into Evan Roberts’ heart. Over and over Roberts prayed, ‘O Lord bend me!’ Roberts sensed God calling him to return to his home church in Loughor to lead the young people in a series of meetings. The pastor would not allow Roberts to address the entire congregation that had gathered for the weekly meetings but announced that anyone who wished to remain afterward could hear what Roberts had to say. On that evening, October 31, 1904, 17 people stayed behind to hear Roberts. His message had four points:

1.    You must put away any un-confessed sin.

2.    You must put away any doubtful habit.

3.    You must promptly obey the Spirit.

4.    You must publicly confess Christ.

   All 17 people pledged to follow these guidelines. The Holy Spirit began to work powerfully in this group. Soon crowds were gathering at the church each evening. God’s people began to repent of their sin and renew their relationship with Him. Unbelievers came to the services, and many put their faith in Christ. Roberts and other preachers spread out across Wales to speak in churches and saw revival spread. Within two months 70,000 people had become Christians. Within six months 100,000 people had been born again and added to the churches.

   God’s activity among He people exerted a profound effect on the community at large. Taverns were closed for lack of business. The crime rate dropped so dramatically that the police had to find new uses for their time. People repaid delinquent debts and made restitution for thefts and other transgressions. There was even a slowdown in the coal mines as the pit ponies reportedly could no longer understand the reformed language of the converted coal miners! Soon the world took notice of what God was doing in Wales. Before long, similar revival movements occurred worldwide. It all started when God drew 17 of His people back to Him. Once they returned to God in complete surrender, their community, then their nation, and ultimately the world felt the impact.” (Fresh Encounterby Henry and Richard Blackaby, page 15)

   So how about you? Are you ready to agree to do the four things Roberts asked  those 17 people to do? Are you ready to gather together with others on a regular basis to cry out to God to come down and make a change in our churches, communities, and country? Why not start today?

PRAY

1.    O Lord I confess to you that I am a sinner. For give me for_____________and _______________and _______________.

2.    Lord help me as I put away my bad habit of complaining, of not being thankful, for not putting You first in every part of my life. Help me break the bad habit of ________________.

3.    Help me to be obedient to the movement of the Holy Spirit in my life today. Help me to be attentive to listen to Your still small voice, and quick to obey!

4.    Help me to be bold enough to tell someone about You today. Let everyone that I come in contact with today know how much You mean to me and how You have transformed my life for good.

    

The Light of the World

   “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.’” (John 8:12)

    Have you ever spent time in total darkness? Maybe in windowless bedroom at night, or camping out on a moonless night? I remember one occasion when it was so dark I could not see my hand in front of my face. It was the summer of 1968 and I was undergoing some army training at an Army training location called Camp Buckner in New York State. We were being trained in night infantry operations and the night in question was an overcast and moonless night.

    I was part of a 10-man patrol and I had the job of the compass man, responsible for making sure the patrol went in the right direction with the rest of the patrol behind me. In front of me was the point man and his job was to break the brush and I was to guide him in the right direction. Our point man was a friend, named Tom Suerman, who was about 6 foot 4 inches and weighed about 220 pounds and played defense on the Army Lacrosse team. It was so dark that the only parts I could see of him were the two luminescent pieces of tape on the back of his patrolling cap that we called “ranger eyes.”

      

   As we moved through the dark in that forested and rocky terrain I watched the ranger eyes on the back of his hat in front of me and occasionally told him to walk more to the right or to the left to stay on the azimuth that had been set on the compass. Suddenly, I saw the ranger eyes drop from their 6 foot four position to below his feet and then heard a loud “oomph” come from Tom’s mouth. Then there was total silence as I froze and tried to process what had just happened. “Tom, are you ok?” I asked. At first there was no response, so I asked again and dropped down on my knees to feel forward as it was slowly dawning on me what had probably happened. 

   Finally, he responded that he was ok but that his knees and ankles were very sore. Of course you have probably figured out what happened by now. He had walked off a small cliff and had fallen about ten feet. He had not seen it coming because it was just too dark. Fortunately, he was not seriously injured and was able to continue the training exercise that night. 

    I think you will agree with me that there are many times in life that we really don’t know what is going on and what dangers may be lay ahead of us. When it is dark we need a light to help show us the way. When it is too dark we might even walk off a cliff without having any warning that the cliff is just up ahead. Jesus made it very clear in the Scripture above that He is the “light of the world.” He says we will “not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” I don’t know about you but I like the light. I like to be able to see where I am going.

   If I know Jesus personally, spend time studying who He is, what He teaches us though the Bible, and being obedient to the things He teaches us, I have a chance in this life. He is the light! He will give me the guidance I need and the assurance of Him being with me to negotiate whatever life puts in my path.     

   Are you walking in the darkness now? Are you having a little trouble seeing which way to go in your physical or spiritual life. Jesus has the answers to the questions you have. Look to Him. Cast your cares on Him. (1 Peter 5:7)

   “’While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.’ These things Jesus spoke, and departed and was hidden from them.” (John 12:36)

PRAY

1.    Lord, help me today to be filled with your Holy Spirit so that I can know how to live and which way it is that You want me to walk today.

2.    Help me to spend time in Your Holy Bible today that I may hear You speak to my heart and help me to know you better.

3.    Help me to spent much time in prayer with You so that I can know You better and I can intercede for my family, friends, church, and the leaders of our nation.