Pastor David Keuss - Hope without Compromise

       When it comes to the Christian life, a lot of people try to pit certainty versus faith, as though you could. But that is not God's calling upon you or me. In fact, we must see that God gives us certainty various ways, that go with faith. As St. Augustine helpfully said long ago, "Seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand." So we find something of a reminder in Luke's Gospel, chapter one on this.        Here's what Luke says in chapter one: " Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us,   just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word.   With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus,   so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught. "        (Luke 1:1-4 N

       What should we make of 2020? It started out fairly normal. Now we get news that is shocking on a regular basis. It's in an environment like this that the Christian person needs to have an anchor for the soul. We need to make sure we are grounded in God's unchanging promises of His Word, which is power for us. There is power in God's Word and in the name of Jesus.        We're told in 2nd Timothy 1:7 this great truth to reflect on and believe: "For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline." Paul while writing to his assistant and fellow Christian brother Timothy, called him back to basics. Paul was likely imprisoned in Rome at this time, and Timothy was facing internal hardships in the area he lived. Namely, many were no longer as friendly to the Christian witness or Christian meetings as they had previously been. It is in that environment where Timothy may get discouraged. Paul says don't go there. Resist tha