It’s hard to believe but half of the year is now history. I guess it’s true that as you get older, time seems to go faster. It seems like the year just began and now we are getting ready to enter the seventh month. 

So, we’re half the way through and I’ve got some questions:
• How’s your first half of 2018 going?
• Have you gotten done what you intended?
• Did you have any new year resolutions?
• If you did, did you follow through with them?
• Are you more intelligent, better fit and a more well-rounded person?

But, in reality, the only question that truly matters is: 
• Are you closer to The Lord, than you were 6 months ago?
• Do you know more of His Word?
• Are you more attuned to His voice?
• Have you gotten rid of those weights that were holding you back?
• Is your prayer life better?

I know that looks like 5 questions but, in reality, they all are in conjunction with the first one. We only have a finite amount of time. Once it’s gone, it’s gone and nothing we do will ever bring it back. We must make sure that with all of our work, rest, family time, and entertainment choices that we utilize the time we have with God and become better Christians. The Pentecostal evangelist and missionary, Charles Studd, penned the words "Only one life 'twill soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last.”

So, since we are half the way through the year 2018... And since there is nothing we can do with the time that has already passed... And since we may have regrets or lost opportunities ... And since nothing will change any of that...

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH THE SECOND HALF?

Psalms 90:12 says "So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom."

Let the rest of this year really matter:
• Start that new prayer regimen 
• Get back into your Bible reading
• Invest spiritually in a young person
• Change your church attendance practices and stop missing
• Reignite your family devotions
• Draw closer to God and shed the worthless weights of this world 
• ___________________________________ (you fill it in)

Make the most of the 6 months that are left in this year!
Pastor Hoffman

Do you remember the first time that you visited a car wash? I remember it seeming like a small-scale amusement park ride. We’d wait in line for our chance to go through and then once we’d pulled up to the entrance Dad would pay the fee to get in. Once we’d pull in and thread the needle on the correct place to catch the magic carpet (what was really the towing mechanism that pulled the cars), we moved through these stations of sprays, sponges, and soap. It seemed like each one was bigger and louder than the previous. The suds would make different designs as they were scrubbed all over the windows, which would make me think this is what it would look like on the inside of the mouth when we brush our teeth. After the suds had cleared and the water had washed away any remnants of residue you’d faintly hear this roar in the distance. Suddenly, the drops of water on the windshield seemed to get legs and scurry off the glass. Moments later I’d see the source of their energy which was this blower slowly lowering from the sky, getting louder and louder the closer it got. Once it had hovered over the entire length of the car, we usually received the green light to pull out and the sun would always seem brighter on the other side.

This was how I viewed the experience, but not everyone in my family had the same enjoyment. My little sister used (I don’t think she still is) to be very afraid of the whole car wash experience. She disliked it so much that when we would go as a family my mom would get out of the car with her before we went through. Once Dad and I had gone through the swishing and the washing of the car, there would be my mom and sister waiting to get back in. The experience of the car wash was totally different for me than it was for my sister, but in the end we both liked riding away in a shiny clean car. What I’ve been dancing around by telling this story is that although experiences can be shared they are not always shared in the same way. A church service is a great example of this because it is a place where many people from many backgrounds come together and have an experience with God. We all desire to be spiritually clean and free of the dirt of sin, but are we willing to go through the cleaning process that comes first?

Unfortunately, there is no option to skip the cleaning process spiritually. We must come to the point where we realize that we are covered in dirt and need deliverance (every day). However, I’m happy to tell you that the price was already paid on Calvary and Jesus will wipe away every stain of sin. 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” He is faithful because his car wash (so to speak) is always open. He is just because he gives his grace freely. Not just freely either, but sufficiently. Regardless of how much dirt you may have, he’s going to give you as much grace as you need to come clean. So, whether you have been through the cleaning process many times or you are still standing on the outside wanting to get clean, he is still faithful and just. He is still in the cleaning business.
 
Coburn Hoffman
 
Just in case you were thinking it too, click here.