​One thing I like about our church is that the children are encouraged to come to the front of the sanctuary during worship time. Some of them wave flags, some sing, and others dance about. There is one little girl who comes to Sunday service in her pretty dress with a puffed-out skirt. You can see the delight on her face as she twirls around. I so enjoy watching her! However, the best part is that with every step she takes her shoes light up. I had to look up how this can happen and read that in the sole of the shoe is a LED (Light Emitting Diode) bulb that is activated by a small button-style battery. An electric current is generated when pressure is applied by the foot stepping down and the bright illumination is created. Watching this young girl worship the Lord with abandon got me thinking about how we are to be Christ's light to the world.
 
Psalm 89:15 says, "Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim You, who walk in the light of Your presence, O Lord. They rejoice in Your name all day long; they exult in Your righteousness. For You are their glory and strength, and by Your favor You exalt our horn." We can acclaim the Lord by shining His light to others. Christians have a responsibility to do this through our kindness, peace, and joy. How we walk demonstrates the goodness of God.
 
God ordained that the people of Israel would be a light to all the other nations. Isaiah 60 talks about the glory of Zion. "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you, and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you, and His glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn." (Isaiah 60:1-3) We, as Believers in Christ and by virtue of our connection to the forefathers of our faith, carry the light of God. Wherever we step we should emanate a brightness and light that attracts others to us. When Jesus came to earth, He told the people of Israel, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life." (John 8:12)
 
God's plan for sending Jesus to earth is expressed in John 12:46. "I have come into the world as a light so that no one who believes in Me should stay in darkness." When Jesus was delivering His Sermon on the Mount, He gave those who listened to Him keys to living a blessed life. He defined us as being salt and light and said this about carrying His light: "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:14-16)
 
Psalm 119:105 explains how to walk in the light of the Lord. It says, "Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." Our dedication to the Word of God is what will help us stay on the right path. In verse 59 of the same Psalm the writer tells us, "I have considered my ways and have turned my steps to Your statutes." As we keep in step with the Spirit of the Living God, we will be shining His light for others to see and delighting the Lord with our walk.

 If you have recently gone past a vineyard, you may have seen the rows of grapes covered by netting. This netting is a critical tool in protecting the fruit of the vine. Certain threats can reduce the yield of the crop and negatively affect the quality of the grapes. Vineyard netting safeguards the grapes from birds, insects, and harsh weather conditions. Vine growers want their crop to reach optimal ripeness without damage.
 
Netting is usually applied to the vines before the stage of fruit development called veraison. This is a time when the color of the grapes changes and the fruit softens. It means that the sugar levels in the fruit are rising, and the acidity levels are falling. In addition, the size of the fruit is increasing, and the aroma is developing. All these signs mean that the harvest is about thirty to sixty days away.
 
We can trace the history of God's desire for us to bear fruit back to creation. Genesis 1:27 talks about the creation of mankind. In verse 28 it says, "God blessed them and said to them, 'Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.'" From the loins of Abraham came God's chosen people, Israel. When He brought them into the Promised Land, the Israelites had an up and down relationship with the Lord, but He remained faithful to His covenant with them. The prophets frequently refer to Israel as a vineyard. The restoration of Israel is written about in Isaiah 27. "In that day sing to her, 'A vineyard of red wine! I the Lord, keep it, I water it every moment; lest any hurt it, I keep it night and day.'--Those who come He shall cause to take root in Jacob; Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit." (Verses 2, 3, & 6)
 
The secret to bearing fruit is in one’s relationship with the Lord. "But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in the year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." (Jeremiah 17:7 & 8) In Zechariah 8, the prophet declares God's desire to be faithful to His people. He tells them, "I will save my people from the countries of the east and the west. I will bring them back to live in Jerusalem; they will be My people, and I will be faithful and righteous to them as their God... The seed will grow well, the vine will yield its fruit, the ground will produce its crops, and the heavens will drop their dew. I will give all these things as an inheritance to the remnant of this people...I will save you, and you will be a blessing..." (Verses 7, 8, 12 & 13)
 
In the New Testament we can read the words of Jesus about bearing fruit. "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful...I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15: 1, 2 & 5) Like the children of Israel, we are not perfect. However, Jesus made provision for every sin. It is His love that protects or covers us. The prophet Isaiah gives us the Lord's response: "I have put my words in your mouth and covered you with the shadow of my hand—I who set the heavens in place, who laid the foundation of the earth..." (Isaiah 51:16)
 
Just as the Lord loves us, He calls us to love others. Let us remember the words of Jesus in John 15:16 and 17. "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so whatever you ask in my name, the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other." We are meant to bear the fruit of the Spirit talked about in Galatians 5:22 and 23, ("Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.") and we can count on God to cover and protect it.

It was during this month, the eighth month on the Hebrew calendar, that God implemented His plan to cleanse and restore the earth. He found one man who was righteous at the time when He proclaimed, "I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created...for I regret that I have made them." (Genesis 6:7) He gave instructions to Noah to build an ark for himself, his family, and two of all living creatures, male and female. Then God said, "Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation." (Genesis 7:1)
 
The story of Noah's obedience to God should be an example for us. As he and his family followed God's instructions concerning the building of the arc, they bore witness to the righteousness of God. Noah's behavior reflected Matthew 5:16. "...Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." Let us remember that Jesus warned His disciples about the days before His return, saying that they would be like the days of Noah. "Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating, drinking, marrying, and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all." (Luke 17:26 and 27)
 
Would you not agree that our society today looks very similar to the one from Noah's days? So, it would be a suitable time for us to proclaim the righteousness of Christ. And why not do so in the month that Noah and his family entered the arc, the eighth month of Cheshvan? It is interesting to note that there are no Jewish feasts or fasts during this month. The Jews say this month is reserved for Messiah. Perhaps this is the month in which Messiah will return. Regardless, our responsibility is to declare the righteousness of God while we still have time. He could return any day!
 
Floods are usually devastating for those who live through them. Yet God used the flood of Cheshvan to bring about cleansing and restoration. He used Noah as an instrument of redemption for the world so that all humankind could be saved. This shows us that God's plan for humanity never changes. God was repositioning humankind to be "fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and every living thing that moves on the earth." (Genesis 1:28 - NKJ) Is it not appropriate that Cheshvan is the eighth month when the meaning of eight is new beginnings?
 
We, as Believers in the Lord, have been made heirs to Him. This truth means that we have authority in the earthly realm. Our assignment is the same one given to Adam and Eve: to be fruitful, multiply, subdue, and have dominion over the earth. Are we living out God's plan for our lives? We must realign ourselves with the plans and purposes of our Lord and Savior. Like Noah, we want to demonstrate the righteousness of the Kingdom of Heaven in the hope that others might join the family of the Lord. 

​Did you know that every year since 2022, in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the Bible is read on our Capitol steps? According to our state legislator, Stephanie Borowicz, an "amazing group comes and reads the Bible in like seven days...They said every time they read at each State Capitol, crime goes down." Breaking Christian News reports that this year "Pennsylvania state legislators Stephanie Borowicz and Doug Mastriano spearheaded a move that now declares September 12 the 'Day of the Bible' in Pennsylvania."
 
With America's 250th anniversary about to begin, our two legislators introduced in Congress a resolution to recognize this day nationwide. Mastriano says, "We are the rock that dropped into the lake, and I believe we're taking this land back." Last month there was a celebration at Philadelphia's Independence Square. At Congress Hall in this square, the first Congress of the United States met from 1790 to 1800. As our founders met in this location, the Bible was at the center of their planning.
 
It was on September 12 that the Continental Congress approved the printing of the Aitken Bible. This was the first complete English-language Bible printed in America. Borowicz had this to say: "We're restoring the Bible back. And this is, like you said, this is a battle of good versus evil, right? And we don't fight flesh and blood. We fight principalities and rulers of this dark world."
 
Somehow the intentions of our founding fathers concerning the Word of God have become skewed. The many Scriptural quotations that appear in the writings of our founders let us know that they knew and respected the Bible. According to a web site called "Got Questions," "Our government structure, laws, morality, education, and family values were all founded on principles that came directly from the Bible. The Founding Fathers, Presidents, and foreigners visiting a young America identified the key to the nation's success as the biblical influence embraced by its society. When a nation honors God, it develops a respect for all of God's creation. Where there is no honor of God, a society will fail to respect His creation, and people will suffer as a result."
 
We only need to look at the nation of Israel to see the ramifications of their choices concerning following God's Word. When Israel was following God's laws, their society functioned well, but when they turned away from it, their society had trouble.  We can also look at the history of the United States. Our prideful attitude that we know better than God has left us in tumult. Our words and actions do not reflect the goodness of our Lord. We must remember that when we agree with the kingdom of darkness, we give the demonic realm permission to operate in our lives. This results in chaos and destruction. When we agree with the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of Light, we empower the Lord and invite Him to impact our nation.
 
Mastriano points out that "The Word of God helped make a difference in the founding of our nation." He admonishes us: "Study it, read it to your children at night, read a Psalm a day, do something with it, because our foundation, our virtue, our nation, our republic can only be sustained with it." Hebrews 4:12 tells us about the power of the Word of God. "The Word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." Let us pray that the resolution introduced in our Congress will pass and that Pennsylvania will be a leader in making the Bible a priority in our daily lives again.

​What do you do when life throws you a curve ball? My first inclination is to ask God why. The problem is that I rarely get an answer to my "why question." In return for my question, I hear, "Do you trust me?" Then, I review some of my trust Scriptures:
 
Psalm 9:10 - "Those who know Your name trust in You, for You, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek You."
Psalm 13:5 - "But I trust in Your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in Your salvation."
Psalm 84:12 - "Lord Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in You."
Psalm 125:1 - "Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken, but endures forever."
 
Proverbs 3:5, 6 - "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."
 
Isaiah 12:2 - "Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord Himself, is my strength and my defense; He has become my salvation."
 
Nahum 1:7 - "The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him."
 
My why question has been directed by the unexpected death of my husband's dear daughter. She was taken from her family too early in life. Her quiet, gentle personality will be sorely missed. So, we declare our trust Scriptures, and we take comfort in who God is and in the way our Church family has poured their love on us. My other "go to" is a book written by Elisabeth Elliott titled On Asking God Why. The author knows what it is to suffer loss and has compiled her thoughts on how to deal with different kinds of loss. Here are some of them:
 
Page 11 - "A true faith must rest solidly on His character and His Word, not our particular conceptions of what He ought to do."
Page 140 - "I wanted God to explain Himself to me when my expectations were turned upside down. God knew what I really needed was not explanations but sanctification and purifying. My notions about myself, my work, and my God needed to be put through the fire. My heart needed deep and painful scouring. 'Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.'"
Page 147 - Elisabeth quotes Evelyn Underhill: "If God were small enough to be understood He would not be big enough to be worshipped."
Page 149 - "Whatever dark tunnel we may be called upon to travel through, God has been there...Things are a mess, yet to turn our eyes back to the Cross of Calvary is to see the irrefutable proof that has stood the test of the ages: 'It is by this that we know what love is: that Christ laid down HIs life for us.'" (John 3:16 - NEB)
 
The conclusion I came to before and come to again and again remains the same. God's love for us is unfathomable. He demonstrated His love through the death of Jesus on the Cross. In this unimaginable act He took our sins upon Himself so that we can spend eternity with Him in heaven when we acknowledge what He has done. His mercies are new every morning. He has walked every road we must walk and is prepared to lead us into a place of peace and love. Great is His faithfulness! Bill Johnson of Bethel Church in Redding, California, says it all: "When I don't understand, I trust."

​The third of the fall feasts begins at sundown on Monday. Called Sukkot or the Feast of Tabernacles, its main message is that God desires to dwell with His people. Jesus/Yeshua is the consummation of the holiday as He "tabernacled" among us. Sukkot is the pinnacle of the Jewish calendar and is referred to by God as "The Feast." The week-long feast commemorates a time when God dwelt with His people in the desert. Moses reviewed the commandments for the Feast of Tabernacles with the Israelites before he left them. Here is how it is written in Deuteronomy 16:13-15. "You shall observe the Feast of Tabernacles seven days, when you have gathered from your threshing floor and from your winepress. And you shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, and the Levite, the stranger and the fatherless and the widow, who are within your gates. Seven days you shall keep a sacred feast to the Lord your God in the place which the Lord chooses, because the Lord your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you surely rejoice." (NKJV)
 
There are several themes to the festival of Sukkot that we will review:
Joy - God commanded that the Jewish people take four species (Leviticus 23:40) and wave them together before Him in rejoicing. The Jews use an etrog (large lemon-type citrus fruit), a palm frond, a willow and myrtle branch, and tie them together into what is called a lulav.
 
Ingathering - Sukkot is the celebration of agricultural harvest. This gathering of the harvest represents what will occur when the fullness of the Gentiles comes to faith in God and makes room for the return of the Jewish people to faith in their Messiah.
 
Dedication - In 1 King 8:2 we can read how King Solomon selected Sukkot as the time to dedicate the temple and bring the ark of the covenant into the inner sanctuary of the temple.
 
Light - During Sukkot four huge golden candlesticks were set up on the court of the Temple. Four young priests would climb ladders placed by the candlesticks as they carried about 7.5 gallons of pure oil to light the bowls at the top candlesticks. The light from those four candles lit the entire courtyard in the temple in Jerusalem. Many would dance in the night, holding bright torches and singing songs of praise to the Lord.
 
Water - In the last day of the festival the priest would go to the Pool of Siloam to draw water. They brought it back through the Water Gate and poured it on the altar. Prayers thanking God for the harvest rain would then be prayed. It was during this ceremony that Jesus declared, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them." (John 7:37, 38)
 
Nations - Through the prophet Amos, God promised that He would raise up the fallen tabernacle of David. "In that day I will restore David's fallen shelter. I will repair its broken wall and restore its ruins, and will rebuild it as it used to be, so that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all nations that bear my name." (Amos 9:11, 12) The theme of Sukkot will be fulfilled according to Zechariah 14:16. "Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, The Lord Almighty, and to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles." 
 
As the Jewish people are building their Sukkahs, or temporary booths, and live in them to remember their ancestors' journey through the desert, we must pray for them to be awakened to the truth of their Messiah who came to tabernacle with us.

​It comes once a year and is God's holiest day on the Hebrew calendar. It is the only day of the year when the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies. His assignment was to make a blood offering for the sins of the people of Israel. This holy day is called Yom Kippur or The Day of Atonement since the sins of a nation would be atoned for. At the center of the three fall festivals, we can read about all of them in Leviticus 23. Each of the three feasts have a theme and include The Feast of Trumpets (repentance), The Day of Atonement (redemption), and The Feast of Tabernacles (rejoicing).
 
Yom Kippur is the culmination of The Ten Days of Awe that started on The Feast of Trumpets and is the day when God summoned His people to repentance and renewal. On this day, the children of Israel examined themselves to evaluate their faith and their relationship with God. It was, and still is, a day of fasting and prayer. The translation for The Day of Atonement is "The Day of Covering." When a sacrifice was made on the altar, God provided a covering for sin. However, the Jewish people are faced with a conundrum today. Leviticus 17:11 says, "...It is the blood that makes atonement for one's life." In other words, there is no atonement without the shedding of blood. Blood was the evidence that an animal had paid the price for the sin of God's people.
 
The sacrifices for sin occurred in the Temple of God. With no temple, there is no place for a high priest to make the blood sacrifice. Father God recognized this problem and had a solution for it before the beginning of time. He sent His Son, Jesus, to save us from our sins and to fulfill the sacrificial system. He paid the sin debt once and for all time through His crucifixion. Being buried, He rose again on the third day and demonstrated the power of God to save us. The crucifixion of Jesus occurred 40 years before the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD. He shed His blood for the entire world to cleanse us from our sins so we could have relationship with God.
 
In Hebrew, Chapter 9, the writer explains that Christ became the mediator of a new covenant. "He died as a ransom to set them free from sins committed under the first covenant." (Verse 15) Verse 22 confirms what was written in Leviticus: "...Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness." Verse 28 declares a glorious future for those who believe in Christ. "Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him." 
 
Sadly, blindness has come over the Jewish people. Their rabbis have instituted new ways to observe Yom Kippur. Prayer and fasting, attending synagogue, readings, and sermons are now the way the Jews observe this day. They have set aside what God prescribed and commanded. As Believers in Yeshua, Jesus, it is our responsibility to pray for the Jewish people to have their eyes opened and their hearts transformed to believe the truth. Here is how it is stated in Romans 11:11 and 12. "Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their full inclusion bring?"  We must be on our knees for the Jewish people.

One of God's greatest desires is for intimate communion with His children. Thus, He "created man in His own image." (Genesis 1:27) In the cool of the day God came to walk in the garden with Adam and Eve. God is still coming to meet us and looks forward to drawing near during the three fall feasts. Monday, at sunset, the shofar will be blown to signal the beginning of the Jewish new year 5786. The Head of the Year, or Rosh Hashana, is also called Yom Teruah, The Day of the Blowing. The ten-day period from Rosh Hashana to Yom Kippur, The Day of Atonement, is referred to as "The Ten Days of Awe." These days are a time for introspection, repentance, and renewal.
 
Rabbinic Judaism memorializes Rosh Hashana as the time when the world was created. It is the beginning of the Jewish calendar year when counting the Sabbaths and the numbered years. Genesis 22, the chapter in the Bible that tells the story of Abraham's obedience to God when he was asked to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, will be read in synagogues. God will be praised for His substitutionary atonement (a ram in the thicket). For Believers in Yeshua, there is greater significance to this story as it was a foreshadow of what Messiah would do for us. "The Lord caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him." (Isaiah 53:6) Let us remember that the spiritual application of God's word for our lives has never changed. The blowing of the shofar 100 times is a mighty call to learn from the past and look forward to the future.
 
Considering the events of the past two weeks, I believe that there is a prophetic significance to the new year 5786. Many prophets will be focusing on the Hebrew meaning of the numbers in the new year, especially the six and eighty. The Jewish system assigns a numerical value to every letter in their alphabet. The sixth letter in the Hebrew alphabet is "vav" and is shaped like a hook or connecting rod used to join words or concepts together. Some call the connecting rod a hinge. When we look at Genesis 1:1 we see that "God created the heavens and the earth," and He connected them together. The prayer Jesus taught His disciples is written in Matthew 6. Verse 10 demonstrates God's desire to connect heaven and earth. "Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." Jesus came to earth to restore the connection between heaven and earth through His redeeming blood on the Cross. Rabbi Jason Sobel points out that since the number six is pictured as a hinge pin, we are being called in this year to change. This is the year of the "turning point."
 
The blowing of the shofar is a wakeup call for us. The truth is that without repentance there is no revival. It is time for the Church to wake up and declare truth. This is shown in the number 80. Eighty is "pey" in the Hebrew alphabet. Hence, we are in the decade of "pey." The Church must raise its voice and speak truth for us to turn toward the Lord's direction. Let the shofar blast remind us to lift our voices to call for an awakening in our land. It is time to turn toward righteousness and justice. Without transformation our nation will falter. Patricia King, in her yearly assessment of what is to come in 5786, says we must avoid the evil that tries to hook us and be firmly connected to God. Divine alignment with Him will help us purify our hearts and keep our speech and actions in heaven's flow.
 
Let us declare this new year of 5786 as one of preparation for the coming of the Lord. We must be ready to go to battle for the plans and purposes of God as we prepare for His coming. 

​At the end of our lives, we all want to hear the same thing from the Lord: "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful in a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!" (Matthew 25:21) It is clear that we are all born with different gifts and abilities. It is our responsibility to make the best of our own. We may not be able to achieve the same things as others, but we can make an equal or greater effort. All of us will be asked the same question at the end of our lives: "What have you done with what I have given to you?"
 
This past week, the Lord would have asked Charlie Kirk that question. I am sure that he was able to answer that he used all his gifts fully, to the glory of God. There are times when it is particularly difficult to understand why someone is taken from this earth early in life. There are many asking God that question about Charlie. At the age of thirty-one, Charlie was taken from us through an assassin's bullet as he engaged with students at Utah Valley University. Raised in the Chicago suburbs, it became obvious to those around him that Charlie was wise beyond his years. He grew up to be a principled man who stood up for his beliefs. He was a kid with a dream who worked to make it happen.
 
At a young age, he discovered that he could inspire others, especially young people. He loved to debate. Though students at college campuses became his main target, Charlie dropped out of Harper College, near Chicago, to pursue his dreams. In 2012 he founded an organization called "Turning Point USA" whose main focus is defending religious freedom, democracy, and justice. Through podcasts on social media, he reached 100,000,000 young people every month. Turning Point now has over 850 college chapters.
 
Yearly, Charlie scheduled multiple meetings to college campuses throughout the United States for what he called his "Prove Me Wrong Tour." He encouraged debate in the public square and always demonstrated his wealth of knowledge. As he was well-spoken and well researched, he was effective in helping young people think for themselves and inspired them to participate in the life of our country. Charlie's faith was central to everything he did so he defended Biblical values and spoke the truth boldly. He was a patriot who loved our country and thought we could be so much better than we are. His message was one of revival and reformation. President Trump said that Charlie went about "championing ideas with courage, logic, humor, and grace."
 
A Scripture I have always grappled with comes from Psalm 116:15. "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints."  Footnotes in my Bible help me understand. The word precious in Hebrew means valuable and costly. Another suggestion is that God rejoices when we arrive in heaven. Either way, I know that He feels our pain and grieves with us over this monumental loss.
 
John 12:24 says, "...unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain." Charlie is a casualty of the internal war in our country. His message to "welcome without judgment, love without conditions, forgive without limit" must spread. The seed of Charlie has been planted, and we must pray that all the young people who were inspired by him choose to rise up like him in loving God and loving others. Pray for the soul of our nation and that the flames of revival would burn brightly as others pick up the torch that Charlie left for us.

​The word righteousness is written about in the Bible over two hundred times. Its meaning is being in right relationship with God and conforming to His character. Righteousness is a matter of the heart and "comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe." (Romans 3:22) It is the prophet Jeremiah who prophesied about the coming of a righteous King. "' The days are coming,' declares the Lord, 'when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which He will be called: The Lord Our Righteousness.’”
(Jeremiah 23:5, 6) While it is true that righteousness comes as a gift of God when we embrace faith in His Son, Jesus (Romans 5:17 and 2 Corinthians 5:21), we must do our part in pursuing it and living it out. Since Romans 3:10 tells us that God is the only One who is totally righteous, our pursuit must also be for an intimate relationship with the Lord Our Righteousness or "Yahweh Tsidqenu" in Hebrew.
 
In the Bible there are many promises of blessings for those who pursue righteousness. For example, Jesus called those who hunger and thirst for righteousness blessed in Matthew 5:6 of the beatitudes. He also says they "will be filled." Psalm 23:3 tells us that as our Shepherd, God "guides us in paths of righteousness for His name's sake." The Passion Translation interprets this verse in an interesting way: "He opens before me pathways to God's pleasure and leads me along in His footsteps of righteousness so that I can bring honor to His name." A footnote in this version explains, "It is a common trait for sheep on the hillsides of Israel to circle their way up higher. They eventually form a path that keeps leading them higher. This is what David is referring to here. Each step we take following our Shepherd will lead us higher, even though it may seem we are going in circles."
 
The promise that comes in Proverbs 21:21 about those who pursue righteousness is worth looking at: "He who pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity, and honor." In a recent teaching from Jonathan Cahn, leader of Hope of the World, he explains that the word "pursue" is a Hebrew word that also means "to hunt." The word hunt denotes searching determinedly for something or chasing after it. The word "pursue" indicates that we are to continuously chase after righteousness in our daily lives. It should be our life-long mission because God's desire for us it to be more like His Son.
 
Some other promises for the righteous (those who have made Jesus Lord and Savior) follow:
"Blessings crown the head of the righteous." (Proverbs 10:6)
"The righteous will flourish like a palm tree; they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon." (Psalm 92:12)
"...He who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward." (Proverbs 11:18)
"The righteous man leads a blameless life; blessed are his children after him." (Proverbs 20:7)
"The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their prayer..." (1 Peter 3:12)
 
Our challenge is to be in constant pursuit of righteousness, not only because of the benefits that come with the hunt, but because this pursuit allows us to walk in the very presence of God. Scripture tells us, "Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; love and faithfulness go before You. Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim You, who walk in the light of Your presence, O Lord. They rejoice in Your name all day long; they exult in Your righteousness. For You are their glory and strength, and by Your favor you exalt our horn." (Psalm 89:14-17)