My Navy nurse friend passed along a sad prayer request:Please say some extra prayers for Betsy. She is my daughter in law's stepsister.
She awoke yesterday morning to find Andy, her 32 yr. old husband, had passed away in his sleep.
They have a little girl who just turned 4 last week.
May he rest in peace in the arms of Our Saviour.
Kay
We had a memorable morning worship service, today. The words to the opening hymn set the stage for the message:Once to every man and nation, comes the moment to decide,
In the strife of truth with falsehood, for the good or evil side;
Some great cause, some great decision, offering each the bloom or blight,
And the choice goes by forever, ’twixt that darkness and that light...
Though the cause of evil prosper, yet the truth alone is strong;
Though her portion be the scaffold, and upon the throne be wrong;
Yet that scaffold sways the future, and behind the dim unknown,
Standeth God within the shadow, keeping watch above His own.http://www.hymnlyrics.org/newlyrics_o/o ... nation.php
The sermon title: Many will be deceived.
I wish our congregation's website were up to date so I could link to the full message. But, since it isn't, here's highlights:...One phrase jumped out at me as I read this text again, it's in verse 5 (Mark 13:1-8): See that no one leads you astray. The Greek is even starker: Jesus said to them: "Watch out that no one deceives you."
...So, as believers, what's our compass? How do we keep from being deceived? What is the compass that points us to the truth? Of course, it's God's Word - but it's not enough to have somebody else's explanation of what that Word says. The God of the universe desires to teach you to know Him...The way we are protected from being deceived, from being led astray, is to learn to hear the true Master's voice. Jesus says that his sheep will hear his voice. (John 10:27) How? by each of us reading, wrestling with and treasuring Scripture...
...In a time with so many voices, so many wrong voices, so many confusing voices, so many religious voices, so many voices screaming life-destroying, heart-destroying, family-destroying, soul-destroying claims - how do we stay on target? How do we know the truth? by knowing the Truth. Jesus is the Truth. There is such a thing as Truth, and it's a person. He invites us to know Him, to be made whole, and to have our lives guided by His Spirit....
to YOU, Don - Now you are officially as old as I - no wait. I haven't figured out how many times I've celebrated my 39th birthday, yet. 
