Rock Standing Summer 2020

Dear Friends,

The course of history is changing before our eyes and I can only relate this to a book I read as a high-schooler called “1984” by George Orwell. The book imagined a future place where streets were renamed, statues were removed and history was replaced by revisions that were acceptable to the culture. When I think about the times in which we are living I am torn in my heart for trying to assuage those who oppose everything this country stands and finding a venue to share the Gospel message of our Lord Jesus about FAITH AND LOVE.

I recently shared a teaching about the Great Commandment and the words from Jesus are piercing, “LOVE your neighbor as you love yourself.” When I read these words, I know that my neighbor needs what I need, he needs food, shelter, a job, a place to respectfully live his life. I know this because those are the same things that I need. For many of us and certainly for me, there are places in your life, people in your life, things in your life that have happened that challenge you to be a person who LOVES. Might be easy to love the spouse, the kids, the family but so incredibly hard to love those who make your life harder than we care for it to be.

Paul’s words to the church at Corinth are quite direct, you can be the most faithful person on the planet but without LOVE you have nothing. Please dear friends pray for God to allow your love to shine through the circumstances you face, because without love we are not the people God wants us to be.

“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love  bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never ends”

To God be the Glory.
Byron Whetstone
Executive Director

“……and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing…..” 1 Corinthians 13:2