Pastor's Notes
January 2017
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Very few men, in recent history, have had as strong an impact for Christ as Billy Graham. I recently read a devotion he had written that shows one of the main reasons that is true. The devotion is found in his book “HOPE for Each Day.” It is a book that you really need to own. What follows is Dr. Graham’s devotion.
Vision, Integrity, Presence
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
~ Romans 12:2
In many contexts, VIP means “Very Important Person.” But the acronym also offers us a character test.
The V stands for VISION, for “where there is no vision, the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18 KJV). Having a vision means seeing what can be done, what ought to be done, and how to get it done. The highest vision we can have is to glorify God by discovering God’s will for our lives-and then doing it.
The letter I stands for INTEGRITY, meaning that a person is the same on the inside as he or she appears on the outside. There must be no discrepancy between what we say and what we do, between our walk and our talk.
The P stands for PRESENCE- God’s presence in our lives. Without God’s help we are doomed. Only in Christ do we find out who we are, why we are here, and where we are going-and only in Him do we find the power to fulfill our God-given vision.
So be steadfast in your commitment to Christ, and be a real VIP – a person with vision, integrity, and God’s presence.
~ Dr. Billy Graham
We all need to continually praise God for all the very important persons He has brought into our lives. They truly are a gift of God that He has used to mold each of us.