Category: Christian Living

The Influence of “Pasters”

by Dale, posted in Christian Living, Heaven, Pastoring, Uncategorized


Last Friday, the memorial service was held for a man, Dr. Rod Bell, that I looked up to as a young preacher boy.  He was a force in the pulpit with his booming, West Virginian voice accompanied with an extreme passion for souls, convicting preaching of the Word, and staunch fundamental stand.  As I contemplate his influence on me, I am greatly reminded of my own influence on younger men and boys . . . and it brings a solemn, soul-searching note to my own heart.  You see, many of the men I have looked to for guidance and wisdom have already gone to Glory. Often I find myself saying, “I wish I could ask my Dad a question.”  Or, “Wonder what Dr. Williams would have thought about that?” Or, “Sure wish I could hear Dr. Bob Jones, Sr., preach again.”

Now at my age, young pastors calling to talk with me, asking how I interpret a passage of Scripture, wanting to spend some time in prayer with them, and/or just to be their friend.  I remember those days . . . and I’m struck by the intense burden of being a godly, biblical influence; something that can only happen by the grace of God, the power of the Holy Spirit and Christ living in me.

The picture you see in this post is a sobering, but encouraging reminder of the influence we have on others, especially young ones.  A few Sunday nights ago, a 10 year-old boy handed this post-it note to me at the close of the service.  I stopped, read it, put my arm around him, and thanked him for his encouragement.  When I got home, I sat down and read it more thoughtfully.  How moved to understand what a 10 year-old sees as his “paster.”  If I can fulfill those six things by God’s grace, I’ll look forward to the Bema (2 Corinthians 5:10-14), . . . and will be with my dad, Dr. Bell, Dr. Williams, Dr. Jones, and a throng of other “pasters.”  “What a day that will be . . . !!!”

Keep the Fire Burning

by Dale, posted in Christian Camping, Christian Living, Prayer, Renewal, Uncategorized


The recent cool temps have beckoned us to enjoy our backyard fire pit.  Last Saturday night, we had 16 folks gathered around the fire sharing testimonies and singing under the stars accompanied by two guitarists. Monday night, our daughter and son-in-law joined us for some family conversation and ice cream around the fire.  After they departed, my wife and I roasted marshmallows and talked for a while.

There’s something about a fire that draws you into some good fellowship.  There’s something about a fire that also creates some good practical spiritual applications for life.  Early on in the evening, the fire was full and burning bright.  To keep it that way, I had to keep adding logs to stoke the fire, and I had to pay attention lest it die out.


As I write this post, our fire pit has no life in it due to letting the fire go out and the cold temps settle in overnight on the remaining ashes and burnt wood.  No one is sitting around the fire.  No one is attracted to its glow, nor warmed by its flames, nor sustained by the food cooked over its embers.  But, when the cools temps roll around this evening, that beckoning call will return.


How careful we must be to keep our hearts burning for the Lord (Luke 24:32;Romans 12:11).  Just as I have to keep an eye on the fire to maintain its blaze, may I tell you that the best way to keep your spiritual heart on fire is through intimate prayer.  That includes your daily time of sitting at Jesus’ feet with your Bible and your eyes wide open listening and praying the Scriptures (Luke 10:38-42). Also that includes conversing with Him throughout your day (Ephesians 6:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:17).  Combined, that’s keeping your eye on the fire, the Lord Jesus Christ.  All of genuine, authentic life comes from Him and abiding in Him (Psalm 16:11; John 1:1-4; 11:25; 14:6; Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:1-4; John 15:1-17).  As you pray, your heart will be warmed, your countenance will be changed, your life will be sustained, and you’ll find yourself wanting to be close to fire as you dwell in this cold, dark, sin-filled world.

Are you cold?  Stoke the fire. Get closer to the fire. Keep your eye on the fire. Oswald Chambers said, “Prayer is the vital breath of the Christian; not the thing that makes him alive, but the evidence that he is alive.”

Running Uphill . . . to the Finish Line

by Dale, posted in Christian Living, Faith, Health, Running, Trials, Uncategorized

My son-in-law and I have basically owned the Tweetsie Trail this summer for our morning run.  The beautiful scenery, friendly bikers, walkers and runners, beautiful wildlife, the nostalgia, pristine quiet, and the desire to stay healthy and prepare for periodic races calls us out three to four times a week.  Our routine is to run from Johnson City to Elizabethton at different distances as my training is currently maxed out for 10Ks while Andrew is preparing for a half-marathon.  Recently, I said, “Let’s change our routine and run from Elizabethton to Johnson City.  Well, I was greeted with a startling fact . . . the trail is predominately an uphill grade.

Our last run really took it out of me, and I was a bit defeated because running is such a challenge to me.  Upon sharing my thoughts via texting with Andrew, he said, “The second you feel defeated, you fail.  Sounds like the Christian life.”  He is right.

Running is such a mind game.  Correct thinking is so crucial.  In most instances, you can run farther than your mind tells you.  There you are, your legs are burning a bit, your lungs grasping for air, and your mind saying, “Just go ahead and quit.  You know it’s too hard to finish. You just don’t have it.”  That’s when you have to think the truth, remind yourself about things you have learned from running, and take another drink as well as another step.  You really don’t want to listen to yourself.

The Christian life is often uphill as well.  Every day presents you with battles that begin with putting your feet on the floor first thing in the morning.   Once that happens, you are “off to the races.”  How needful it is to think biblically from the first thought of the morning.  So often when we start the Tweetsie Trail, one of us will say, “What a beautiful day to run.  Praise the Lord!”  Starting your day thinking the Word and then throughout the day reminding yourself of the Word will help you climb the next hill.  It is so important that we do not listen to ourselves but rather preach the Word to ourselves.

I for one will tell you that one of the best parts of running is the finish.  There is such an exhilarated rush when you are done.  So here’s some truths to begin your day that will get you to the finish line… even if its uphill.

This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.  (Lamentations 3:21-26)

For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete. (2 Corinthians 10:3-6).

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:37-39).

Crazy Busy

by Dale, posted in Christian Living, Prayer, Rest, Sabbatical, Uncategorized

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Rest. Quiet. Relaxed. Tranquil. Unhurried. These are terms that you do not hear much in these days in which we live.  But, quite often you sure hear the following:

  • Life has just been crazy busy!
  • I didn’t have time . . . .
  • I just can’t keep up.
  • Hurry up! We’ve got to grab a burger for supper so we can get to your sister’s cheerleading practice and then take you to your soccer game and get home in time for youto get your homework finished.
  • If I just had more hours in the day!
  • It has been crazy busy around here today at work! (The new buzz word.)
  • Your Dad won’t be home until Friday. He’s got a busy week out on the west coast.

I love the quote from Tim Challies in his review of the book, Crazy Busy.  He says, “Busyness is a funny thing. We have a love/hate relationship with it, so that when we are not boasting in it we are apologizing for it, and when we are not overwhelmed by it we are wanting more of it. We hate what busyness does to us, how it keeps us from friends and families and how it skews our priorities. On the other hand, we love that it validates us, as if the fact that we are busy someone proves our significance.”

Having just completed a 31-day sabbatical, the term crazy busy, when heard, shouts out to me like a frustrated football coach on the sidelines!  Hence, I have a few observations.

  1. We all have the same amount of time every day. So that does away with, “I wish I had more time.”  If we were given more time, we would still need more time.
  2. What we do with our time, which is a gift from the Lord, is a personal, daily, throughout the day, decision.
  3. God designed our bodies to have a sabbath, a time of rest (Genesis 1-2).
  4. We are commanded to redeem the time (Ephesians 5:16), and this is every day of our existence.
  5. The Lord invites the weary and worn-out to come to Him for rest (Matthew 11:28-30).

So, where do we begin in dealing with this critical issue of life?  How do we move away from being crazy busy!  At the start of everything, we need to take Genesis 1:1 to heart, In the beginning, God . . . .  At every beginning, all day long, we must begin with God.  Therefore, I would suggest that you understand that each day must begin with God, the Giver of life, breath, mental capabilities, time, strength . . . everything!  You must begin your day sitting at the feet of Jesus, Who is life (John 14:6).  And then, though out your day, as Brother Andrew said, “Practice the presence of God” by consciously thinking on Him and praying for wisdom at the many “beginnings” of your day.  Listen closely.  The Holy Spirit will bring Scripture to mind and speak in the still small voice.  Sometimes, He doesn’t need to say anything because you already know the answer.  Just obey and rest in Him.

Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed (Mark 1:35).

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30).

That doesn’t sound like crazy busy, does it?

Presidential Candidates & Church Ministry

by Dale, posted in Christian Living, Church, Ministry, Pastoring, Uncategorized

69 and 70.  That’s the ages of our current United States of America presidential candidates.  That’s retirement territory.  That’s well within the AARP range.  I have to step back in a bit of amazement that one of these two older people will hold the highest office in the land with ALL of its responsibilities and expectations.

That brings me to an interesting set of comparisons between a man chosen for the presidency of America and a man chosen for the pastorate of a local church.  It all begins with this thought—

  • For a man to be president, he must have years of experience; but for a church seeking a new pastor, they usually want a man who is young, energetic, educated, and full of new ideas. By the time a pastor reaches his middle fifties, most churches seeking a pastor are not interested because he is too old, and the pastor is not interested because he is too tired.
  • For a presidential candidate, he is not even thinking of retirement. He is, in his sixties and seventies, crisscrossing the United States with “guns blazing” ready to win the election.  An older pastor is slowing down with an eye on retirement.
  • For the presidential candidate, he has fresh ideas of how to “make America great again.” For the older pastor, he tends to just want to hold on to tradition, to what’s comfortable and just bide his time.

This also has application to the members of the local church.  I have never understood the mentality of when you reach your 60’s and start attending the Senior Saints class that it is time to stop serving and “let the younger folks do it.”  Oh, how wrong!  Look at the following passage:

But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: 2 that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience; 3 the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things— 4 that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed. 6 Likewise, exhort the young men to be sober-minded, 7 in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, 8 sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you. 9 Exhort bondservants to be obedient to their own masters, to be well pleasing in all things, not answering back, 10 not pilfering, but showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things.  (Titus 2:1-9)

I do not see anything here that even gives the impression that when a believer reaches a certain age he is entitled to come to church and just sit.  Very clearly, though, we see that the older are to teach the younger.  And that is precisely the biblical model . . . older individuals training, discipling the younger. Sure, many folks in their 60’s-90’s cannot keep the pace of a younger individual, but they have much wisdom to impart.  Therefore, invite a younger man or woman to your home to disciple and train in

  • Teaching a Sunday School class
  • Cooking and hospitality
  • Serving as a deacon
  • Ministering to children
  • Parenting
  • Wood-working or some other skill
  • Finances
  • Being a godly husband or wife

So, my encouragement is, older pastors, keep on keeping on!  Stay fresh in the Word and on your knees!  Don’t grow old and stiff and “stuff-shirted.” Find a young man and pour your life into him.  Love him and show him the blessings of ministries.  My dad always said he like to have younger people around him because they made him feel younger.

Aged believers in Christ, “be like a presidential candidate.”  Invest in the lives others rather than believing you are entitled to retirement in your “rocking pew.”

So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come. (Psalm 71:18)

The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish in the courts of our God. They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green, to declare that the Lord is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. (Psalm 92:12-15)

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. (2 Corinthians 4:16)

Sabbatical Journey #4 – Away

by Dale, posted in 40 Days of Prayer & Fasting, Christian Living, Family, Prayer, Renewal, Sabbatical, Uncategorized, Worship

Well, summer is over.  What did you do for your vacation with family or just your spouse or with some friends?  Disney?  The beach?  The mountains? Did you take any day trips?  How about a recreational excursion?  What planning went into your time away?   What was the result of your vacation?  Any take-aways?

Vacations can be a huge refreshment that can leave many wonderful memories, provide a break from your daily routine, and give some much needed rest. Interesting enough, sometimes when you return home, you need another week to just recoup from your vacation (Lol).

Question:  When was the last time you took a spiritual vacation?  No, I do not mean running away or taking a vacation from the Lord, but a planned set of days and location where you and/or family go to grow your relationship with Jesus Christ?  Have you ever taken such a trip?

This sabbatical was so extremely helpful spiritually.  My wife and I spent most of our mornings at home, on the front or back porch, reading, praying, studying, journaling, and listening.  Some days I would travel to the lake, or a secluded mountain top, or a quiet stream and spend my time letting God teach me and whittle away at my heart.

Perhaps you could spend one day a quarter at a place like Fairhaven Ministries, Roan Mountain, TN, and give that whole day to just meeting with the Lord.  Pack your lunch, take your books, and go hide away with the Lord. You, too, could find that lake, stream, mountain top or other secluded area.

Another great opportunity would be to attend Family Camp at a place like The Wilds in Brevard, NC.  There you would have time to get alone with the Lord; time for just you and your spouse to study and pray together; and opportunities to meet together as a family.  The preaching services, music, and workshops would draw you and your whole family closer to the Lord.  And a side note, I promise you would not spend as much on this vacation as you would for the same amount time, motel, and meals as you would at Disney.  And, your whole family will come home stronger in their walk with Christ than if they had spent a week at Disney. (By the way, I’m not hatin’ on Disney. Just sayin’. . .)

So, when you plan for your vacations and get-aways for the months ahead, how about planning some time to get alone with the Lord?  You will never regret it.

Mark 1:35 – And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.

Luke 6:12 – In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God.

Sabbatical Journey #3 – Time

by Dale, posted in Christian Living, Hiking, Prayer, Renewal, Sabbatical, Uncategorized
Beauty Spot, Unaka Mts, TN

We have had several folks ask us what we did on our sabbatical.  Well, here’s a brief look into this blessed 31-day journey.

Going into the month, our goals were, as mentioned in Sabbatical Journey #1, to rest, refine, replenish, recharge and refocus.  My wife and I greatly anticipated TIME . . . TIME to pray, read, seek the Lord, think, prepare, pray, seek the Lord, study, read, pray, think, seek the Lord, etc.  The Lord graciously gave us our hearts desire.  James 4:8 says, Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

How wonderful it was to begin the morning meeting with my Lord in such places as our back porch, by a creek near a waterfalls, up high on Beauty Spot, in the sunroom at my in-laws or on the back deck of a lake cottage.  During these days, I read portions of or completed the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians. My, how the Lord did speak to my heart!  One of best parts was reading the Truth and then watching the Lord make connections that day either through a book I was reading, situations I found myself in or conversations I had with others. My journal is a treasure to me of what God clearly spoke to my heart!

On August 25th as I sat all alone on the Appalachian Trail with Bible, journal and pen in hand, having just read Colossians 1:24-29, I wrote the following:  As I look down the AT, I see a marker pole with a white blaze, and I am reminded of Jim Eliot’s quote, “Lord, make me a crisis man.  Bring those I contact to decision.  Let me not be a milepost on a single road; make me a fork, that men must turn one way or another on facing Christ in me.”  The more TIME you spend with the Lord, the more you want to be that kind of man.

Thank You, Lord, for TIME to meet with you, uninterrupted and with no time limit.  Eternity will be awesome!!

The Most Important Word in Running

by Dale, posted in Christian Living, Running, Thanksgiving

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That was the title to an article found within the pages of Runner’s World written by Mark Remy.  The subtitle was, “Here’s a hint: It has nothing to do with nutrition, form, or VO2 max.”

So now, you are asking, what did the article say was the most important word in running?  Are you ready?—-“Thank you.”

Often my wife, who power walks, and I remark about how grateful we are to be out exercising.  We both realize that all we are enjoying comes from the good hand of our God.  1 Thessalonians 5:18 reminds us, In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

So what are we grateful for?

  • The beauty of running in the country!
  • Ol’ Bossie watching us from the cow pasture.
  • Seeing a newborn calf.
  • Quiet.
  • Time to pray, memorize Scripture, and/or listen to sermon podcasts.
  • Fellowship with other runners and the encouragement they bring to keep going.
  • The ability to exercise. I promise you this is not taken for granted!
  • Meeting some our neighbors who are out as well.
  • The benefits of exercise.
  • Safety.  (This can be a challenge when faced with a driver who does not want to lose five seconds of his drive-time.)
  • Goal setting.
  • Being with my wife.
  • Camaraderie with other runners through the MapMyRun app.
  • Finishing the race.
  • Good shoes.
  • Water & Gatorade!
  • Strength & endurance
  • Memories of good and bad races.
  • The opportunity to run again in races that were special.
  • The fall colors.
  • Our Enduracool towels.
  • The Tweetsie Trail.
  • Eyes to see, ears to hears, and lips to rejoice in all that God has created around us.
  • Life in Christ that makes this life worth living.

Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 5:20)

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:17)

Gratitude-poster
quotesgram.com

Running to Heaven

by Dale, posted in Christian Living, Eternity, Running, Uncategorized

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I love to run!  There is something special about being outdoors, the scenery of the mountains or farm lands, pushing your body beyond what you think it can do, running alone or with others or a crowd, and then the exhilarating rush of accomplishment!

Kingsport, TN, hosts an annual race that has intimidated me due to its Saturday, 9:58 p.m. start time. I have never run in a race beyond 7:00 p.m. and the thought of its effect upon my “Sunday life” left me a bit concerned. I missed it last year, but had set my sights on conquering this Crazy 8s 8K this time around!  Wow!  What a race!   2,287 participants lined up on Ft. Henry Drive for the start.  After prayer that included the gospel and ended with a note of thanks for Christ’s death on the cross as well as a stirring rendition of the National Anthem, it was time for the start!  Obviously, it is a bit slow for the wave of runners to get up to speed, but as we turned the corner onto Eastman Road, we were well up to our pace.  All the way, folks were gathered on the sidewalks to watch, cheer, hold up signs, spray us with water, and give us a boosts of mental energy.  The highlight was finishing the race by entering J. Fred Johnson Stadium with the festive fanfare of multiplied cheers of encouragement.  What a run!

Crazy 8 8K

Scripture reminds us that the Christian life is like running a race:

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified (1 Corinthians  9:24-27).

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us (Hebrews 12:1).

But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint (Isaiah 40:31).

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13-14).

May I encourage all believers today in the Christian race to:

  • “Stay the course” – Be faithful in your daily spiritual preparation of the Word, prayer, memorization, memorization, and the use of 1 John 1:9.
  • Don’t run aimlessly – Just as you choose the races to run, have a plan and set goals for your spiritual growth. (1 Corinthians 9:24-27)
  • Exercise self-control – Begin your day in surrender to Christ. Don’t listen to yourself . . . preach the Truth to yourself . . . and do it all day! (1 Corinthians 9:24-27)
  • Be encouraged by all who have finished – Just when you think you will not make it through another day, look to the Captain of our salvation (Hebrews 2:10), our Great High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-16) as well as all who have finished well. (Hebrews 12:1; Isaiah 40:31)
  • Edify and encourage other runners — This race is an eternal one with an eternal reward. We are running the best race.  Let’s help the fallen, encourage the weak, hand them a cup of water, and run alongside at times.
  • Keep pressing on toward the goal – We are to be forward-looking believers. In a race, I may look back to see who’s behind me for safety sake as I move right or left in the road, but my mind is not on the start line but the finish line.
  • Finish well – As I turned right onto Indian Drive and up the hill for the stadium, I could hear the crowd cheering, the music playing, Tom Taylor making comments over the PA system, and it gave me a boost of energy to quicken my pace. For a runner, coming into that stadium and running to the 50 yard line with folks on both sides cheering; that was one awesome entrance!!  I’ve got tears in my eyes right now thinking about it.  I can only imagine what Heaven will be like with the saints of God praising, singing, worshipping, enthralled in the presence of Christ, and knowing . . . we are finally Home!

As I said earlier, we are running the best race now with the Bema as the finish line and Christ the Perfect Judge to hand out the rewards.  In the meantime, let’s run spiritually and physically well for God’s glory.  By the way, “When’s the next race?  I’m ready!”

Give a listen:  Finish Well

Map My Run

by Dale, posted in Christian Living, Health, Running, The Bible, Trials, Uncategorized

 

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Tweetsie Trail (Great place to run)

Map My Run is a handy app on my phone that logs all my workouts.  It records my distance, duration time, average pace, split-pace times, calories burned and elevation gain.  These details are very important as I reach out for my goals in preparation for the next race or just to keep in shape.

Map My Run reminds me of a very functional tool for your daily spiritual growth—a journal.  Just as the Map My Run app helps me track my physical fitness, I believe a hand written journal or one online is a good means to help you in your daily relationship with Christ; to run the race of the Christian life as we set our affection on things above and not on things of the earth (Colossians 3:2) to stay spiritually fit.  So consider the following questions:

  • How do you track your growth in Christ?
  • As you read the Word each day, where do you record what God said to you?
  • When you attend church, how do you document what God is up to in your life during the service whether in singing, prayer, small group Sunday School or the preaching?
  • What has the Lord been teaching you in the school of trials and temptation?
  • How have you seen God answer prayer today?
  • What spiritual goals have you attained by the grace of God?
  • What sins have your overcome?
  • What victories have been won by faith and God’s grace?

We are prone to soon forget the blessings of God, the impact of His Word, and the lessons He brings, but not so if we record them in a journal and then scan over them each week.  Our Shepherd is leading us today (Psalm 23).  Let’s track His steps and His lessons in our lives.  The Christian life is not a sprint but a marathon.  Let’s run well in His Word, burning off the calories of sin, the flesh and the world, and keep a good pace through all the elevations of life as we run for the prize.

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing (2 Timothy 4:7-8).