I have begun Pastor Penn Clark’s book, The Day, Living in Light of Eternity. You can find it at: http://www.pennclark.net and http://www.pennclark.study. He was my first spirit-led pastor, and I learned a lot about living in light of eternity from him. He has put his revelations and previous teaching on this subject, stemming from the Biblical fact that God has planted eternity in our hearts, into this newly published book.

Sunday, I went to church with my son Alex to the Methodist church he recently began attending. That experience, along with this book, brought the following Scripture passages to mind.

Ephesians 5:17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of God.

Colossians 3:15 let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

We need to aim to encourage each other to live lives that encourage others. There’s a choice to make. Are we going to sit with others, sharing tales of what’s going on in the news, complaining about the weather, the government, our wayward loved ones,… or are we going to share testimony of what good things God is doing? Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs… the apostle Paul used these words to encourage the church in Ephesis and Colosse to live as those whom Jesus has redeemed. Living in hope, joy, and thanksgiving, having the assurance of our heavenly reward in Christ Jesus. Paul knew we would need to live in hope and give encouragement even more as our journey of faith continues.

The Methodist church is not what I’m used to, but I had a blessed time in the fellowship hall with the women of the church, getting to know their joys and challenges. I believe you can join hearts in the Lord no matter which congregation of believers you attend, even if it’s not your style service, becausethe Jesus in you meets the Jesus in them, even through religious trappings you’re not used to.

Alex’s service dog, Luna, has become Mascot for this small congregation. When she’s down in the fellowship hall, her official coat comes off, and everyone has doggie treats to give her and lots of love. It’s a good time for Alex to socialize. His wife, Joanna, said she encouraged Alex to go to church and has seen a good change in him. She said Luna doesn’t eat breakfast when she knows it’s church day and the treats are coming!

This Methodist church is on the trail of Charles G. Finney’s revival. He originated in Henderson, so our trip from Henderson to Alex’s church followed Finney’s path. We are all praying for God to do a new revival along this route, and Alex coming to church after so many years is a definite answer to prayer. I believe revival has truly begun, and many more prayers shall be answered quickly.. Catch the fire and pass it on through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, encouraging each other and living in the Spirit, overcoming the flesh, and spurring each other on to good works and faith! I leave you with a couple of beautiful photos my son Chris sent from fishing with his daughters in Vermont. Shalom dear ones.