The Walking Dead

Have you ever wondered "What is my purpose?"

No doubt all of us at some point or another have felt lost or confused as to why we were put on this earth. During times of frustration we may feel that there's no point to our existence, or we may feel we are unnecessary to the functioning of this world. Even Christians, whether saved for 5 minutes or 50 years, can often go through these feelings of questioning their reason for life. If these feelings are not taken captive, or if a solution is not found, they can lead to depression, hopelessness, and eventually death.

The world is full of people who are carrying the weight of not knowing their purpose. It's a deadly epidemic that plagues our society. It's a virus that eats away at the spirits of people. Some walk around thinking they know their purpose, but only find emptiness and a false sense of confidence. We can see the cycles of hopelessness being passed down from parents to their children. It's as if society is a bunch of zombies walking around with the appearance that they have it all made, that they are full of life and purpose. At closer glance, these zombies are actually not full of life at all, but rather full of darkness and death.

It is within each of us to need to be "needed." It is within each of us the desire to succeed at something. We do all have a purpose, but too often our perception of our purpose is muddled and even flat out wrong! What is your purpose and my purpose you ask? We find the answer not in figuring out what our desire is for our destiny. That will only lead to a stronger dose of the disease. Our purpose is not in how many accolades we can acquire or how successful we can be according to the world's standards. Our true purpose, the only one that will give LASTING satisfaction, is found in fulfilling the calling and duty God has placed upon us.

Our church's mission statement is Worship. Love. Serve. Simple, huh? Yet, these three words contain the purpose of every human being that has ever walked the earth or ever will walk the earth. The sum of our existence lies in these three very simplistic words. Worship God. Love God and others. Serve God and others.

Worship. Remember the zombies I mentioned earlier? If you have ever seen the TV show "The Walking Dead" you know that humans turn into flesh-eating zombies because of a disease that every person carries. If you are bit or scratched by a zombie, or even at your natural death, your body turns from what was a normal human to a creature that is dead yet walking around. These zombies, like those who don't understand their true purpose, are in complete darkness. As worshippers of the one true God, we are full of His light. Every time we surrender ourselves wholly and completely to Him, He fills us continually with His light. Light and darkness cannot exist in the same place at the same time. It will either be dark or light. When we carry the light of God through our worship of Him and Him alone, we expel the darkness of this world. Every place our feet tread, we are expelling the darkness of no purpose, and showing with very clear light, that the purpose of God is the key to life.

Love. The Bible says in 1 Peter 4:8 "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins." Love contains a power stronger that any other. Love is what drives us to do what we do. Love for our children drives us to do everything in our power to protect them and bring them up to be productive members of society. Love for our spouse drives us to be the best we can for them. We put their needs above ours. Love for our job drives us to bring our best efforts each day. These loves are good and they have their places, but the greatest love of all comes not from a spouse, child, or job, but from our Heavenly Father, who by definition is love. God is love. Love is God. You cannot divide or separate love from God or God from love, because that's who He is. His love covers over our sin and transgression. His love in us is the cure for the disease that turns people who are full of potential into lifeless zombies. We cannot honestly call ourselves a disciple of Christ if we do not love.

Serve. To serve means to put our needs and desires aside to fulfill the needs of another. There are many things that we can do to serve others, especially zombies. It may be a hot meal, clothing for the naked, a bottle of water, a place to stay, friendship/discipleship, or even just a smile when you really don't feel like smiling. As a follower of Christ, we must serve. We cannot escape this calling or diminish this calling, because it's who we are. We are servants. Mark 10:45 says "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." If Christ is who we exemplify, and even He didn't come to earth to be served but to be a servant, how much more are we called to be servants. When we serve others, especially zombies, we are showing them the love and hope in Christ. We are literally being the hands and feet of Jesus. There is no greater honor! There is no trophy that can be won, no promotion that can be attained, no more a prestigious title that can be given than to be considered a servant of the Most High God.

Unlike the show "The Walking Dead," where nothing can be done to help a zombie besides stabbing its brain, there is hope for the zombies in our society. There is hope and life in Christ Jesus. Aside from that, it's darkness and death. We hold the cure to the disease of no purpose and no hope. Let's inject it into our world for the glory of God.

What's Mine is Mine

 It never ceases to amuse me to watch small children argue over toys. Child #1 sees an appealing toy, takes it, and begins to play with it. Child #2, who has been entertained with other toys until this moment, sees Child #1 with the toy and is overcome with a desire for the toy in Child #1's possession. Child #2 proceeds to snatch the toy from Child #1, not without a fight of course. Child #1 then chooses to either punch, kick, bite, yell, tattle, or some other method to get the toy back that they originally had stating "MINE!"
  Isn't it amazing how we take ownership of certain things in our lives. We would never allow another human being to steal away our personal possessions that are of most value to us. A loving mother wouldn't allow a stranger to take her child without a fight. A protective father wouldn't allow a thief to rob his family of their belongings. These examples and many others depict our feelings of ownership and love for the things we hold dear to our hearts. What's mine is mine!
  In the book of 2 Samuel chapter 3 we see a story that reminds me of how dear we hold our possessions to us. To give you a little background, King Saul, the leader of God's people, is dead. The kingdom is divided, some still clinging to Saul's part of the kingdom, and the others under rule of David, the man anointed to be the King of Israel by God himself. King Saul had a captain in his army named Abner. Abner, after being accused of immorality and offended by one of Saul's sons, decides to help out David instead. Abner sends messengers to David asking him if he would like to strike up a deal with him. Abner says he will "help bring the whole country of Israel over to you (David)." David agrees to a deal with Abner, but the condition he gives is that Abner must bring Michal back to him. Michal is King Saul's daughter and David's first wife who was given to David by Saul for slaying Goliath and 100 other Philistines. David had to leave Michal with her father, because Saul had tried many times to kill David because of jealousy. When Abner brings Michal, who has since married another man, Paltiel, he follows his wife sobbing. In a place called Bahurim, Abner turns to this sobbing husband and tells him to go home.
  At first, when reading this story, I find myself feeling so awful for Paltiel. No doubt he loves Michal, because we see him showing emotion at her loss. He is losing his wife to a king. It doesn't quite seem  fair, does it? The more I thought about this story, the more my feelings began to shift. You see, Michal belonged to David FIRST. She was his first wife who he loved and worked very hard to obtain. Over the time that they had to be apart, which was quite some time, he must have never stopped thinking of her. Yes, he married more wives, and she married another man, but it makes me wonder if they always thought of each other and longed for each other. She belonged to him and he belonged to her. Circumstances caused them to have to be apart, but maybe they always desired to be together in their hearts.
  Sometimes in our lives, our King, God, requires us to give up some things. We can identify with Paltiel, Michal's husband, when we are asked to give these things up. We are upset and sad, because we want to keep the things we see as "belongings" to ourselves. God may ask us to give up our time, money, desires, plans, tv shows, and most of all our hearts. He desires our lives. It can be a painful exchange for us giving these things up. It doesn't always seem fair. Why should I have to give up more of my paycheck, didn't I work hard to earn it? Why does God want me to take time to disciple someone, can't he just have the pastor to do that? Why can't I fulfill my dreams for my life, God?  These and many other questions may swirl through our minds as we try to wrestle our "toy" from God.
Paltiel followed his wife until they reached a place called Bahurim. The word Bahurim means choice. At some point in our lives, we have to make a choice. Am I willing to let God have those things in my life that he desires? Am I willing to sacrifice my entire life and all that I am for my Savior? Do I love him enough to be willing to let some things go? We have to make a choice. Not to say it's going to be easy, because we all know that giving up our desires for God is painfully difficult. It's as if a piece of us is being torn away. The difference between King David and our God is this...David gave nothing to Paltiel in exchange for taking Michal. God always replaces those things that we must give up to him. In fact he doesn't just replace them, he multiplies and gives us exceedingly, abundantly above what we had before. But he will only do this if we surrender to his will.
  We can't say "What's mine is mine" to God. In reality, it all belongs to him anyways, just like Michal really belonged to David first. 1 Corinthians 6:20 says that "You are bought with a price." When we choose to become a follower of Christ, we are choosing to give it all away in devotion to the Savior. We are choosing his will over our's, his plan over our's, his desires over our desires. My life isn't my own. It belongs to him. Whats's His is His...

Next Level

As we come into this new year, 2013, we are not only entering into a new calendar year, but a new year spiritually as well. It's a new season, a time for celebration. I believe with all my heart that God is going to go above and beyond what we could ever imagine this year. He is taking His church to the next level. Jeremiah 29:13-14 says (MSG) "When you come looking for me, you'll find me. Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I'll make sure you won't be disappointed. - God's Decree - I'll turn things around for you. I'll bring you back from all the countries into which I drove you - God's Decree - bring you home into the place from which I sent you off into exile. You can count on it." When we get serious about wanting to go to the next level with God, he won't disappoint us. However, too often we find ourselves staying in the same place for various reasons. While thinking about this very thing, the Lord showed me six things that keep us from going to the next level in Him...

6. Weights - The purpose of a weight is to put pressure on you. It's job is to counteract the motion you want to do. If you want to curl a weight, it's job is to pull your arm downward instead of upward. In our walk with God, we can find ourselves having spiritual "weights." These weights can be anything from addictions (even those we try to justify), unforgiveness, bitterness, hatred, jealousy, laziness, etc. These and others are sin. Our spirit man is in pursuit of Christ, yet these weights counteract what our spirit man wants and pulls us further away from God rather than to Him. You may not notice these weights doing their job at first, but after a little while, you'll notice the pain they bring. It's very hard to lift your hands in worship if you're carrying a weight. It's very hard to hug and love your brother or sister in Christ if you're carrying a weight. It's very hard to walk in a free life like God intended if you're carrying a weight. Hebrews 12:1 says "Therefore seeing we also are surrounded with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which does so easily ensnare us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us." Let's cast these weights aside so we can go to the next level with our Lord.

5. Pride - The only person I can truly blame for stagnation in my spiritual walk is...me. I am the problem. It's like we walk around with a mirror of pride, giving us the capability to only see ourselves. This problem happens to many of us who have been walking with the Lord for a long time. We get this mindset that we have arrived, that we've received all that God has for us. In our minds, we are super Christian! However in Psalm 10:4 it says "In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is not room for God." If we have the attitude that we have arrived and absorbed all that God has for us, then we are considered wicked according to God's word. We serve a God on the move, if we aren't moving with Him because of our pride, we really can't consider ourselves to be followers of Him. There was a group of people in the Bible that struggled with pride and going to the next level. They were called the Pharisees. Their pride was so great, they didn't even recognize the God they said they served.

4. Contentment - Contentment and pride go hand-in-hand. The definition of contentment is "acknowledgement and satisfaction of your currently reached capacity." Contentment is knowing where you are and being satisfied with it, even if it's not where you should be or what's best for you. Maybe your contentment is being satisfied in an experience with God you had many months or even years ago. You believe that the goosebump you felt 3 years ago is going to sustain your walk with God forever. Many people unfortunately believe the only experience you can have with God is salvation. Although salvation is the greatest thing you could ever experience, it's not all God wants to do in us. Salvation is the beginning of a lifelong walk with God in full obedience to Him. You would never hear someone say, "My marriage is terrible. My wife/husband and I never really speak, and we really don't love each other anymore. But, we had a great wedding, and I'm satisfied with that." No one would consider this to be a successful marriage, being content with only having a great wedding. A successful marriage is one that grows in love and admiration for each other. It's the same way with our walk with God. It's a continual growth and maturity in Him. Philippians 4:13 "I press on toward the goal..."

3. Too Dependent on Others - Sometimes we won't go to the next level with God, because we are relying on someone else to get us there. When we first get saved, we are spiritual "babies." This is not meant in a derogatory way by any means. Just like we are biologically born babies and grow up, when we begin our walk with God, we are spiritual babies that must grow and mature. Some of us, however, never grow. Babies rely on their every meal to be supplied by someone else, because they can't obtain it themselves. They have to learn how to feed themselves. In the same manner, we must not forever rely on someone else to "feed" us our spiritual food of prayer and Bible-reading. We are as Christians to help those that are newly saved. We must nurture them and disciple them. In time, though, we must allow them to begin to grow relying solely on the Lord. We are ignorantly thinking if we believe that the message we hear from our pastors on Sunday is going to carry us through the entire week. We must be daily feasting on His word and prayer to grow and go to the next level in Christ. It is not one's responsibility to carry you to the next level if you have known Christ for awhile. It is mine and mine alone to pursue Him. Imagine if all the people that Jesus told to take up their beds and walk would have waited until someone came along to lift them up. Their lack of faith may have stopped their healing. We in turn, must be willing to "take up our beds" and walk on in the Lord.

2. Not Kingdom-Minded - As followers of Christ, everything we do should be for the purpose of furthering the kingdom of God. No matter what the task, it should be viewed as a vital part of the growth of the Kingdom. For many, we are the only Jesus people see. Many will equate their opinion of the Lord on what they see us doing and saying. Our obedience is not only imperative because of our devotion to God, but it might be the turning point in someone's life in which they decide to follow after God. When we refuse to go to the next level, it doesn't just affect us, but the countless number of people that we are to influence. When we aren't kingdom-minded, it's as if we are wearing a blindfold, refusing to see the world around us. When we reject the idea of being kingdom-minded we are not only hindering ourselves, but taking the risk of another's blood being placed on our hands.

1. Fear - The #1 reason we don't go to the next level in Christ is fear. Every other reason could be summed up as fear. Addictions are fear, pride is fear, contentment is fear, spiritual immaturity is fear, selfishness is fear. We have fear of rejection, the unknown, failure, etc. Fear will cripple us, and leave us incapable of doing all that God desires us to do. Countless times in the Bible, God says "do not fear" or "fear not." Why? Because He knew that as humans, we would sometimes fear the future. The reality of it is, many of the things we fear never even come to pass. Fear can turn into a lack of faith. We are afraid of going to the next level, because we are afraid of what might take place there. 1 John 4:18 (KJV) says "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love." God wants to lavish us with His love and fill us with His love. Fear counteracts His love. We must cast fear aside and tell it to leave in Jesus name. Let's not be crippled by fear, but rather let's operate in God's pure and faithful love.

The time to move is here and now. We must jump on board with God, or be left behind. The next level is upon us. We can move or stay stagnant. True joy and fulfillment in life lies only in pursuing God. I hope we all chase after Him with all we have in this new year.

Broke - Part 1

Job 1:1 - "In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil."

This past Sunday, my husband preached the first sermon in the series "Broke - What is Nothing Worth?" In this series, he is leading an in depth study of the book of Job. Job's story is one of brokenness, faithfulness, perseverance, and restoration. His story is an example of God's providence and favor.

His story begins with a meeting between satan and God. Satan complained to God that he had been wondering to and fro looking for someone to tempt and ultimately destroy - what he does best. God confidently answered, "Have you ever considered my servant Job? There's no one else on earth like him. He loves me and obeys me." (paraphrase) Satan retorts to the Lord that the only reason Job stays faithful to God is because of all that God has blessed him with. The deceiver further states that if God were to take away all Job's blessings, he would turn his back on God. The Lord says, "Go ahead, then, all his possessions are in your power. Take them if you want, but you cannot lay a finger on him." (paraphrase)

Satan does this very thing. Job was a very wealthy and prosperous man. God had richly blessed him with livestock, children, and good health. Within a day, Satan took Job's livestock, servants, and children, leaving Job in utter shock.

I want to pause at this point in the story to ask, "What would I do in this situation?" How would I react if I lost all I hold dear in a matter of moments? Would I get angry at God for not intervening? We may have never gone through a circumstance quite like Job's, but many times throughout our lives, we are faced with situations that cause us to make a choice of allegiance. Maybe the unthinkable happens, and we are left in deep despair. Maybe we suffer a loss so shocking and hurtful, we're not sure how we'll go on.

"Consider my servant Job..." This is the statement God told satan at their initial meeting, and it's the statement that will hold true throughout time for all of us. Job's reaction to his sufferings was weird, unexpected, and powerful. He not only didn't get angry at God and curse him - he worshipped him immediately upon learning of his losses! In our fleshly minds this makes no sense whatsoever. How can you worship in a time like that?

The answer to that question lies in your perspective. There are two types of people in Christianity and in the secular world. There are those whose lives revolve around themselves, and there are those whose lives revolve around God. When we take into perspective that sometimes God allows, not causes, certain things into our lives for our eventual good and His glory, it makes more sense as to why Job would worship through the trial. God's hand will never leave those that follow Him. Even in the trials, we have a Creator who loves us and walks with us. However, His plan and purpose is far above ours. His plan is for our good, not our demise. (Jeremiah 29:11)

I was both convicted and encouraged after this message. It left me looking at my own life during times when I haven't understood why I was going through the things I was going through. Sometimes, we go through things, not because we have sinned or because of our character, but because it is part of a grander plan. I hope to never have to go through the things Job went through, but I do hope to have the same amount of confidence from my Father as he had toward Job. He knew Job would keep the faith. He knew Job would not give up. He knew Job would still love him.

Sometimes being "broke" doesn't mean your empty. In fact, like in the case of Job, it can mean your quite rich.

Walking on Eggshells

Psalm 121:3-8 "He will not let your foot slip -- he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will not slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you -- the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm -- he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore."

Jeremiah 29:11 "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"

Ever feel like your walking on eggshells? We use this expression to symbolize having to be careful in what we say around certain individuals, but does it ever seem that you have to be extremely cautious in all you do in all facets of life? Does life ever seem to be so overwhelming that at any moment things could just crack and break completely like an eggshell?

I believe we have all felt this way at one moment or another. Trials we face can cause us to be unsure of our "footing." We begin to question things that are happening to us, trying to find the reason as to why we would be going through such a test. We sometimes live in fear of the next blow the devil will have for us, afraid that it will be the one that completely does us in. "When it rains...it pours" - as the old saying goes. But what if, just maybe, these things we go through - these things we tread upon, might not be about to break? What if the things we face are actually not making us weaker, but part of a grand scheme that is making us stronger?

I know what you're thinking. How can cancer, divorce, infidelity, loss of a loved one, financial difficulties, and things of the like make me stronger? Does God really desire for us to face such awful circumstances? Does God care if we feel weak and about to break?

It is absolutely true that God loves us beyond our wildest imagination. It is true that he is a healer, deliverer, and savior. It is true that he is able to work miracles in our darkest situations. It is also true that our lives will not always be smooth sailing. It is also true that sometimes, God does NOT cause, but allows us to go through situations. It is also true that as he waited four days to raise Lazarus from the dead, sometimes he waits to deliver us until the moment he deems perfect.

If I told you to take your carton of eggs from your refrigerator, open them up, and step on top of them, you would think I was crazy, wasteful, and silly. However, it is a scientific fact, that it is possible to stand on top of eggshells that are placed in the correct position. The egg's shape is actually one of the strongest structures on earth. The arch shape of an egg allows it to be able to withstand weight hundreds of times more than its own. Now, an egg laying on its sides, will be crushed immediately at the slightest amount of pressure. An egg standing up, however, is strong enough to walk on. It's all about the design and position the egg is in.

Just like an egg, God has allowed things into our lives, not to crush us under pressure, but make us stronger. When put through a test, we are always stronger when we come out. God has designed a plan and a way for trials to make us overcomers. How? When he sent his son, Jesus, to earth to die for us, he conquered every sickness, pain, and hardship we could ever and will ever face. All we are called to do is keep walking, trusting, obeying, and holding to our Father. Just as the egg was designed by its Creator to withstand large amounts of pressure, those things in our lives are designed by satan to make us weak, but God takes them and makes us stronger through them.

Another element of the eggshell experiment is the design of the egg carton. The egg carton was invented by Joseph Coyle in 1911. His design positioned the eggs in a way to where they were their strongest. As long as the eggs remain in that position in the carton, they will be safe. If one would by chance fall down on its side, its weakness would then be exposed. The Bible says in Ephesians 6:13 "Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand." Similarly to an egg in the upright, standing position, we are strongest when we stand. This strength does not come from our own power, but from the Father. His hands are like our egg carton, holding us steadfast. We won't succumb to the pressure of the trial if we continue to stand firmly in his hand.

You were designed for greatness and victory. Jesus has already won the battle. He's already conquered the trial. These things, these eggshells, we seem to walk on are not meant to give us unsure footing, but to allow us to display our times of greatest strength through Christ. Never ever for our own glory -- but always for his! Sometimes, it's okay to walk on eggshells.

The Prisoner in the Third Cell

What do you do when life doesn't go the way you think it should?
What do you do when things don't end up the way you had planned?
What do you do when God doesn't meet your expectations?

If you're any normal human being, you've been disappointed with some things in life. A lost job, a betrayal, loss of a child, an illness - these things and more can bring more than just disappointment. They can bring shear despair. How will you react when things don't go the way you thought they would? What will you do when God doesn't move in the way you expected Him to?

If you are struggling with situations such as these, I hope you will take the time to read the following book written by Gene Edwards. It's called Prisoner in the Third Cell. It is a story featured around John the Baptist, one of the most devoted followers of Christ to ever live. John the Baptist faced a life of hardship and a death far worse. This book depicts his possible questions, feelings, and reactions to a God that didn't come through the way he thought he would. I hope as you read this book, it blesses you, encourages you, and puts a deeper devotion to God inside your heart. It did mine! At some point or another, life will take a turn. Will you stay true to God, or will you crumble and retreat under the pressure? How will you react when God doesn't meet your expectations?

An Epic Destiny

"Epic": -adj of heroic or impressive proportions, -n an episode in the lives of men in which heroic deeds are performed or attempted

Why are we here? What is our purpose? What does tomorrow hold? Is this all there is to life? Does my voice really matter? These questions and more I believe have raced through the mind of every human being at some point or another. Let's face it, life's not always easy. For some, to survive the day is considered a victory. Others find success in life, but struggle to understand their purpose. Others question their very existence. In this whole scheme we call life...is it possible to make a difference?

Even believers in Christ who know they were created to worship him, can allow questions like the above to linger. This dangerous ground has caused many Christians to fall away and be consumed by life itself. I think to some it seems that we come out of one battle only to turn and face another. We get into a rut of just existing. If I can just make it to the weekend...If I can just make it to the next church service...If I can just make it until God moves in my situation. If I can just make it...

This whirlwind of mediocracy in our lives is not, beyond a shadow of a doubt, how our Creator meant for us to live. We were fashioned, designed, planned, purposed to be EPIC. Being epic means being heroic in impressive proportions. It's facing "life" and all the fiery darts of our enemy head on. It's going toe-to-toe with hardships and overcoming through the power of our great God.

In one of the definitions of the word "epic," the Old World Dictionary states that it is "an episode in the lives of men in which heroic deeds are performed or attempted." In our lives, we will face enemies, battles, hardships. We will fight tooth and nail against the devil on a regular basis. We will have to kill our flesh and succumb to the leading of the Spirit everyday. Sounds impossible? It might be to something that was created to be ordinary or mundane. It might be too much for something whose existence was not meant for more than just that...existing. Not you, not me. We were meant and destined for heroic acts. We were meant to be epic.

There will be times, everyday in fact, that you will be called upon to be heroic. Does this mean that you will be called upon daily to sell all your possessions and go be a missionary in the Congo? No, not necessarily, but there might be a co-worker considering suicide, a neighbor facing divorce, a prostitute who doesn't understand her worth, a child who's being abused, a fellow Christian who faces severe discouragement, or your own flesh warring against your spirit. In times like this, our most heroic and epic acts can take place. Don't get me wrong, it has nothing to do with us in and of ourselves, but it's when we allow Christ to use us to minister to these individuals that we see our epic purpose unveiled.

These battles, although huge in the scheme of life, are easy to overlook. We walk around everyday, almost blindly, to the fact that individuals need us to be selflessly heroic. This world is dying. It's decaying and rotting in the filth of bondage and sin. There are people, who may not even know they need rescuing, that need us to face danger (persecution, humiliation, rejection) to save their eternities. Don't overlook your moments to be epic. They happen every day. God has set us up for epic destinies, because he has a divine plan and purpose for his glory. He is an epic Father, therefore he can make us epic children. Keep your eyes open. Don't miss your "episode in life in which heroic deeds are to be performed." Don't worry, don't fret. If GOD be for you, does it really matter what's against you? Be EPIC.