July 15, 2026

Viewing all things through the lens of the True and the beautiful!

The True

All My People

“I was neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet” (Amos 7:14).

Amos was just a regular guy. He was a farmer and a shepherd. He cared for sycamore-fig trees and sheep. He wasn’t looking for another assignment, and he had no desire for an audience or a platform.

But then God “took” him from those duties and told him to “go” (Amos 7:15).

You can, and should, read the whole story in the Book of Amos. It is a story of wonder and fright, and it includes several warnings relevant to our current time. But for this week, I draw your attention to this remarkable portion of the story where God turns to the average Joe farmer/shepherd to implement His plan.

God needs a messenger—a mouthpiece! To be technically precise, it is really that God has chosen to use a messenger, because He could have utilized a different method for accomplishing His will—He doesn’t need anything. But this is one of the throughlines of both scripture and the human timeline: God has chosen to deploy His will and plan on Earth by means of His people. In this case, God has a message for His people, and He has selected a farmer/shepherd to deliver it.

The farmer/shepherd is as surprised by this as anyone. In fact, it seems as though he’s giving a disclaimer and acknowledging his selection may be a poor one when he says, “I was neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees. But the Lord took me from tending the flock and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel’” (Amos 7:14-15).

Amos may as well have said, “I wouldn’t pick me either, but God did, so here I am!”

Can you relate to this? I sure can—especially the first part! My reflexive response when God gives me an assignment is one of evaluation. Am I qualified for this? Do I know how to do this? Have I done this before? Perhaps most revealing, do I want to do this?

Before I say yes, and before I obey, I so frequently assess.

My friend, God is not asking for your assessment nor mine. He’s asking for your trust and acquiescence. He’s called you to be His vessel and to bear His image, not to assume the author’s pen for all of Creation! He alone writes the story, and you and I are invited into it!

We humans have an ingrained impulse to sort the qualified from the unqualified. We use age, gender, race, education, occupation, ability, and an infinite number of other criteria to arrive at our personal conclusions about who should speak for God. But the whole arc of scripture loudly trumpets the truth that God is calling all people to proclaim His Truth!

Moses declares, “I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit on them” (Num. 11:29)!

God speaks through the prophet Joel and says, “I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days” (Joel 2:28-29).

Fast forward to Acts. Jesus the Messiah has come, been crucified, resurrected, and ascended back to heaven. Peter is addressing the Church Jesus has left behind, and he chooses these same words from Joel, “I will pour out my Spirit on all people” (Acts 2:17).

My friends, God uses all His people. The old. The young. Men. Women. The educated. The illiterate. The wealthy. The poor. The powerful. The imprisoned. All people!

We would do it different. But in God’s merciful design, the choosing is not ours but His. And He has chosen to pour out His Spirit on all people and proclaimed His deep desire that all people would walk in, and proclaim, His Truth!

You may be just a “farmer/shepherd.” This includes any and all occupations or earthly assignments. You might well be neither a prophet nor the son or daughter of a prophet. But no matter your station in life, the God of the universe wants to pour His Spirit out on you. When He does, will you go?

U.S.

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham Dies

South Carolina’s senior U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham has died suddenly at the age of 71. Emergency personnel were called to Graham’s home on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC Saturday evening and the Senator was transported to George Washington University Hospital where his passing was officially announced. Early indications are that an aorta tear was the cause of death.

Graham’s death sets off a chain of events in both South Carolina and Washington, DC. Graham’s sister, Darline Graham Nordone, has been appointed to finish the term in the U.S. Senate, which ends on January 3, 2027. Meanwhile, a special primary will be held to replace Graham as the Republican nominee on the November ballot for a new six-year term. There are several possible candidates and it is likely U.S. President Donald Trump will weigh in on the race.

In the U.S. Senate, Senator Ron Johnson (WI) is assuming the gavel as Chairman of the Budget Committee, a position Graham held. Graham had been in line to return to the top spot for Republicans on the Judiciary Committee, as current Chairman Chuck Grassley is term-limited for the post.

Analysis and eternal perspective: We reflect on this truth nearly every week: Life on Earth is short, but eternity is forever.

It appears Sen. Graham had little or no forewarning before his physical demise. While this reality feels jarring every time it occurs, it is a common refrain. We live in temporary bodies that simply give out after a time. This is difficult to fully comprehend in our finite minds, but the wonderful news for Jesus followers is that He is “making everything new” (Rev. 21:5).

As we band together across all political persuasions to pray for Sen. Graham’s family, let us also redouble our focus on our eternal home and to the task of extending the invitation of a relationship with Jesus to those around us. It feels counter-intuitive to surrender control of our earthly lives, but the exchange is relinquishing something temporary for the certainty of eternity!

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” –Jim Elliott, diary entry from October 28, 1949

U.S.

Trial Begins in Charlie Kirk Case

The trial of the man accused of killing Charlie Kirk is underway, as a preliminary hearing to weigh the prosecution’s evidence was held this week. Tyler Robinson, 23, is charged with seven crimes including aggravated murder, and prosecutors are presenting evidence in pursuit of the death penalty. This week’s hearing is the first step in the prosecution’s duty to present sufficient evidence to proceed to the full trial stage. Attorneys for both sides will now prepare legal briefs, and the next hearing is expected to be September 1, 2026.

Analysis and eternal perspective: Once again, life on Earth is short. Far from a flippant repeated reminder, it is helpful for us to continually hold this reality close as we prioritize our limited days.

A second reminder to hold in tandem is that evil is real. There is an appropriate legal course for the accused in this case that is yet to fully unfold, but even now we can say with certainty that evil is evident in our world. As a Jesus follower, you are opposed in your mission to make disciples! There is an active enemy seeking to derail you and wreak havoc and destruction in our place and time (1 Pet. 5:8). You likely wish it was not so, but it would be foolhardy to live according to that desire. The enemy is real, but the Truth living in you is greater!

As the trial plays out, remember our mission as Jesus followers: 1) Grieve with those who grieve (Rom. 12:15), 2) Seek justice for the oppressed (Is. 1:17) while continuing to love mercy (Mic. 6:8), and 3) Put on the full armor of God that you can stand against the evil of the enemy (Eph. 6:10-18)!

World

NATO On, Peace Deal Off

World leaders, including Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, gathered in Turkey for the NATO Summit this week as the U.S. and Iran appear to have abandoned the recently brokered peace agreement. Strikes between the U.S. and Iran intensified, especially in and around the Strait of Hormuz, and U.S. President Donald Trump said the resumption in fighting is because, “I got to know them.”​

Analysis and eternal perspective: As we’ve come to expect, “peace” in the Middle East is both fragile and often short-lived. This week’s intensified fighting is not entirely surprising, but it is still significantly disheartening, especially for those directly impacted. Our first concern and focus of prayer should be for the people of Iran and the surrounding region as they continue to live in a war zone.

This development has not caught you off-guard because we as a community have been clear-eyed about both Iran’s lack of sincere commitment to peace and the long track record of fragile peace accords in the region. Therefore, while we seek peace (Ps. 34:14) and mourn its retreat, we should stand steady in our resolve to be rooted in a peaceful spirit (Jn. 14:27).

The Beautiful

In Season

Wineberries are in season in our area and are therefore everywhere! Most of the plants are not intentionally cultivated but rather have sprung up here, there, and everywhere. When the time is right, the plants bloom and the berries appear!

Your life is similar. It may seem the results are delayed, but when you are rooted in Jesus, His timing is perfect and you will bear fruit in due season!

“That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers” (Ps. 1:3).