Missing the Point
Probing Proverbs 14:28 A growing population is a king’s glory; a prince without subjects has nothing.
There once was a farmer that took great pride in his work. He strove to do everything to perfection. His tractor was in great running condition, the body was waxed and clean…no rust anywhere. His field was fertilized just right, his soil was rich and stunning to the eye. His plants stood tall and were the envy of all the area. There was only one problem…none of them ever produced any fruit ...which is the main thing!
I am a human being, quite an average human being. This Proverb speaks directly to an issue that I can struggle with and believe many others might also…focusing so intently on the details that I miss the BIG picture! Understand…I agree with the famous saying: “The devil is in the details!”
This statement is truer than most people understand. To completely comprehend any issue of life, we must evaluate the many complexities that come with that issue…that is in the Details. However, our adversary loves to provoke us to focus so intently on the details that he can help us miss the point!Let’s use water baptism as an example. We argue over the details, i.e. Sprinkle, pour, immerse, the number of actions, forward or backward, ocean, river, pool or in Church building, what is said during the baptism, who can perform it; clergy, parent or anyone breathing…on and on to ad nauseam! Making us miss the real point…giving testimony of SALVATION through God’s grace! Baptism is a simple symbol that a lost person has experienced the Salvation offered by our loving God. That is what we celebrate, not getting wet! Let’s commit to keeping the Main truths the main thing we focus on and share with those that need it!
If we're talking about emotional and intellectual growth, I absolutely agree. If we're willing, the later years of our life can be golden due to all the lessons that we have learned and hopefully now apply so we do not continue to make the same mistakes that we made before...although I am disappointed in myself because I know if I had focused more precisely, I could have saved myself a lot of grief. But concerning that, all I can do is apply a favorite Tagalog term, “Sayang” which means different things depending on the context. In this one: "What a missed opportunity” or “Oh well” unless you add music, then it’s
So, this update will be in two parts, first health, due to the fact that many of you have shown your love by writing to ask how my health is. I will follow up with another quick update on how the ministry is going, which, I still find God's grace as always, is overwhelming!
I would appreciate your prayers as I crack and chip away. Ask the Lord to make me like Swiss Cheese...Holy! My years remain Golden because I have the Grace of an Almighty God to depend on through this, and a wife that does so 
much to show her love for me. He never promised to keep us from difficult times, He promised to walk with us through them. The world screams, “How unfair and unloving!” Yea, RIGHT! He is so unfair and unloving that he happily hopped and skipped to crucifixion!! Sorry, the “ME” & “MY RIGHTS” mindset today is getting to me.
Our God paid the highest price to gain what? What did He need? What did He not own? We were lost, so He sacrificed the ultimate and paid to gain us! What a God!