Godfidence" #RTTBROS #nightlight

Anointed Calling #RTTBROS #Nightlight

Why Does God Wait?  #RTTBROS #nightlight

The Refugee's Restaurant #RTTBROS #Nightlight

Scripture: "And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you" (Isaiah 46:4).

Colonel SandersTheme:

It's never too late for God's plan

At age 62, Harland Sanders was broke and living on Social Security checks of $105 a month. His gas station restaurant had failed when the interstate bypassed his town. But instead of accepting defeat, he loaded his car with his secret chicken recipe and drove across the country, sleeping in the back seat, getting rejected by over 1,000 restaurants. Finally, a restaurant in Salt Lake City said yes to his "finger-lickin' good" chicken. Kentucky Fried Chicken was born when most people would have been settling into retirement.

You know, I've pastored a lot of folks who felt like life had passed them by. They'd look at me with those tired eyes and say, "Pastor, I think I missed my chance. I think God's plan for me got derailed somewhere along the way." I used to think that way myself at times, wondering if my best days were behind me, if I'd somehow fumbled away God's purposes for my life. But here's what I've come to understand about our heavenly Father, and Colonel Sanders helps us see it clear as day. God doesn't punch a time clock. His plans for you don't expire when you hit a certain birthday. That 62-year-old man sleeping in his car wasn't a has-been, he was a about-to-be. All those years of failure and setback weren't wasted time, they were preparation time

Application: God's plans for your life don't have an expiration date. Sometimes the best chapters are written when we think the book is almost over. If you're feeling like you've missed your moment, like it's too late for God to use you in any significant way, I want you to remember Colonel Sanders driving those back roads with nothing but a recipe and a dream. Your greatest contribution to this world might still be ahead of you. Don't let the calendar convince you that God's calendar has run out. He's still got plans, and He's still got time.

Be sure to Like, Share, Follow and subscribe it helps get the word out.

https://linktr.ee/rttbros

Leave The Past  #RTTBROS  #Nightlight

Don't Let Your Past Control Your Future

You know, there's a story in First Samuel chapter 16 that has always grabbed me by the collar and given me a good shake. It's about a prophet named Samuel who was sitting around having himself a pity party. Now, Samuel was no lightweight, he was a prophet, a priest, and a judge all rolled into one. But here he was, mourning over King Saul like a man at a funeral that wouldn't end.

God had rejected Saul as king because of his disobedience and division he'd caused, and Samuel just couldn't seem to get past it. He was stuck like a duck on a frozen pond, going nowhere fast. That's when the Lord spoke up with some words that ought to make all of us sit up and take notice: "How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons" (1 Samuel 16:1).

Now think about what God was asking Samuel to do here. He wanted him to fill his horn with oil, walk right past the current king who was still sitting on the throne, and go anoint the future king. Talk about some bold faith! God was telling Samuel to anoint his future while his past was still breathing and taking up space.

That's exactly what God was telling Samuel, and I believe it's what He's telling some of us today. You see, we have a choice to make. We can keep sitting there mourning over our past, or we can get up, fill our horn with oil, and go anoint our future. We can meditate on what went wrong, or we can meditate on Scripture. We can keep talking about the hurt, or we can talk about God's goodness.

You know what? You're not going to overcome your past by remaining in your past. Sometimes you have to make no apologies for what God is doing in you, even when others don't understand it. God is doing a new thing, and that's a good thing.

So here's my challenge for you today: don't allow what God has rejected to control your life. Fill your horn with oil and walk right past that thing that's got you stuck. Your future is waiting to be anointed, but you've got to get up from that pity party and move toward what God has prepared for you.

Remember, as we used to say back home, you're "too soon old and too late smart" to waste any more time mourning over what God has already said no to. He's got something better waiting, but you've got to be willing to leave the past where it belongs and step into His new thing.

---

May God bless you as you choose to anoint your future instead of mourning your past.

Be sure to Like, Share, Follow and subscribe it helps get the word out.

https://linktr.ee/rttbros

A tribute to Charles Stanley #rttbros #nightlight #normankissinger

Faith In The Public Square #rttbros #nightlight

A Powerful Prescription #RTTBROS #Nightlight

In the Sweet By and By"

"There’s a land that is fairer than day,

And by faith we can see it afar;

For the Father waits over the way

To prepare us a dwelling place there.

Refrain:

In the sweet by and by,

We shall meet on that beautiful shore;

In the sweet by and by,

We shall meet on that beautiful shore."

In heaven, we will be with God forever!

"Revelation 21:3 KJVS - And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God" (Revelation 21:3)

Looking at this beautiful hymn and its story, I'm struck by how God can use the simplest moments to create something that touches hearts for generations.

Back in 1868, pharmacist Samuel Fillmore Bennett was working in his drugstore when his friend Joseph Webster walked in looking particularly blue. Joseph was a local musician who sometimes battled depression, and on this day his face was long with discouragement. When Samuel asked what was wrong, Joseph replied, "It's no matter, it will be alright by and by."

Those words hit Samuel like a flash of inspiration. He sat down at his desk and began writing as fast as he could, the words coming almost instantly. When customers entered the store, Samuel was too absorbed to help them - they just visited with Joseph by the old stove while Samuel scribbled away.

Finally, Samuel handed his friend the paper and said, "Here is your prescription, Joe. I hope it works." Joseph read the words aloud, and instantly a tune came to him. He picked up his fiddle, played the melody, and suggested they try singing it as a quartet. Just as they finished, another customer walked in and declared, "Gentlemen, I've never heard that song before, but I think it will be immortal."

He was right. In less than thirty minutes, in an ordinary drugstore, God used one man's discouragement and another's inspiration to create a hymn we've been singing for over a century.

Here's how we can apply this to our lives:

Look for God in ordinary moments. Samuel didn't need a cathedral to write an immortal hymn. He needed a friend, a piece of paper, and a heart tuned to heaven. God's still working in everyday places today.

Turn your struggles into stepping stones. Joseph's blues became the catalyst for a song of hope. Your difficult season might be exactly what God wants to use to bless someone else walking the same path.

Speak hope into discouragement. When you see someone struggling, don't just say "hang in there." Point them to the eternal perspective. Sometimes people need reminded that this isn't all there is.

Live with eternity in view. If we really believe heaven is our destination, it ought to change how we handle today's troubles. They're real, they hurt, but they're temporary.

So the next time you're feeling discouraged, remember that your "by and by" moment might be just around the corner. After all, heaven's gonna be sweeter than we can imagine, and until we get there, we've got work to do and hope to share.

Be sure to Like, Share, Follow and subscribe it helps get the word out.

https://linktr.ee/rttbros

A Fixed Heart #RTTBROS #Nightlight

A Fixed Heart

Psalm 57:7 - "My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise."

You know, I was reading about those guided missiles the other day, and it got me thinking about something David said in Psalm 57. These modern missiles have what they call a "guidance system" that locks onto a target and stays fixed on it no matter what tries to throw it off course. Wind, weather, even enemy countermeasures can't shake it loose once it's locked on.

Now, David was hiding in a cave when he wrote these words. King Saul was hunting him like a wild animal, his own people had turned against him, and everything in his world seemed to be coming apart at the seams. But right there in verse 7, David makes this remarkable declaration: "My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed."

I love that he said it twice, don't you? It wasn't just a casual comment, it was a determined declaration. His heart was locked onto God like one of those guided missiles locked onto its target.

You see, David understood something that took me way too long to learn in my own life. When everything around us is shaking and shifting, when circumstances are changing faster than we can keep up with them, we need something fixed, something steady to anchor our hearts to. And that something isn't a plan, it's a Person.

David wasn't saying his circumstances were fixed, he was saying his heart was fixed. His situation was still a mess, Saul was still after him, but his heart had found its target and locked on.

The word "fixed" here means established, steady, prepared. It's the same word used when builders talk about a foundation being fixed in place. When a foundation is truly fixed, the house can weather any storm.

Here's what I've learned: when our hearts are truly fixed on God, we stop being spiritual weather vanes, spinning with every wind that blows our way. Instead, we become like those old oak trees that bend in the storm but never break because their roots go deep.

David's heart was fixed on God's character, fixed on God's promises, fixed on God's plan even when he couldn't see how it would all work out. And because his heart was anchored, he could sing and give praise right there in that dark cave.

Friend, whatever cave you might find yourself in today, whatever Saul might be chasing you, remember this: you can fix your heart on the One who never changes, never fails, and never gives up on His children. When your heart is truly fixed on Him, you'll find that you can sing praise songs even in the darkest places.

As that great old hymn says, "On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand." Fix your heart there, and watch how steady life becomes, even when the storms are raging all around you.

Let's pray: "Lord, help us fix our hearts on You today. In a world that's constantly shifting and changing, anchor our souls to Your unchanging love and faithfulness. Help us to sing Your praises even in the caves of life. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Be sure to Like, Share, Follow and subscribe it helps get the word out.

https://linktr.ee/rttbros

Don't Worry I Got This #RTTBROS #Nightlight

Jesus said in Matthew 6:26, "Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?"

You know what I love about that verse? Jesus is reminding us that God doesn't abdicate His throne when we're going through tough times. He's still on the job, still taking care of His kids, still working behind the scenes in ways we can't even see.

I've learned over the years that most people are doing the best they can with the knowledge and understanding they have, and that includes us when we're struggling financially or emotionally. But here's what I've also learned, God sees it all. He knows when we're at the end of our rope, when we're wondering how we're going to make it through another day.

And friend, if you're in one of those seasons right now, let me encourage you. God hasn't forgotten about you. He hasn't abandoned His post. Sometimes His provision comes through unexpected friends, sometimes through opportunities we didn't see coming, and sometimes through simply giving us the strength to take one more step.

The next time you're feeling overwhelmed, remember those little birds Jesus talked about. They don't have retirement accounts or savings plans, but they wake up every morning singing because they know their Father will provide what they need for that day.

And if God takes care of the sparrows, how much more will He take care of you?

Be sure to Like, Share, Follow and subscribe it helps get the word out.

https://linktr.ee/rttbros

Connecting With God #RTTBROS #Nightlight

The Right Word #RTTBROS #nightlight

Are You Ready #rttbros #nightlight

The Name #RTTBROS #Nightlight

The Weight of a Name

"Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain." Exodus 20:7

I remember growing up in a home where words mattered. My grandmother, God rest her soul, would gently correct us kids if we said "gosh" or "golly," reminding us that even these seemingly innocent expressions were ways of tiptoeing around the sacred name of God. At the time, I thought she was being overly strict. Now, with a few more years under my belt and hopefully a little more wisdom, I understand what she was trying to teach us about reverence.

There's a story that's always stuck with me about the great missionary Hudson Taylor. When he was serving in China, he noticed that the Chinese people would bow deeply whenever they mentioned the name of their emperor, even in casual conversation. This got Hudson thinking about how carelessly he and other Christians often threw around the name of the Almighty God, the Creator of the universe, without so much as a pause or a moment of reverence.

You see, when we take God's name in vain, we're emptying His name of its meaning and power. The Hebrew word for "vain" literally means "empty" or "worthless." It's like taking a precious family heirloom and using it as a doorstop.

David understood this when he wrote, "Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God" (Psalm 20:7). For David, God's name was a fortress to run into, a source of strength when everything else failed.

How we treat God's name reveals how we view God Himself. His name represents His character, His faithfulness, His love, His power. When we call on His name in genuine prayer, we're connecting with the very heart of heaven. Let's treat His name with the honor it deserves.

Prayer: Father, forgive us for the times we've treated Your holy name carelessly. Help us to remember that Your name is precious, powerful, and worthy of our deepest reverence. May we honor You not just with our words, but with our hearts. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Be sure to Like, Share, Follow and subscribe it helps get the word out.

https://linktr.ee/rttbros

Wait And See #RTTBROS #Nightlight

Wait and See

"God is at work in this. I need to wait and see what He does."

These profound words from my Father-In-Law, Jesse Dunn, a nearly 90-year-old saint carry the weight of deep spiritual wisdom. In our instant gratification world, this experienced believer has discovered a truth many struggle to embrace: God's apparent silence is not His absence, but His active presence working in ways we cannot yet see.

The Wrestling of Unanswered Prayer

How often do we echo the psalmist's cry: "How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord? for ever?" (Psalm 13:1). We pour out our hearts in prayer, expecting swift answers, only to be met with what feels like heavenly silence. Our natural response is frustration or doubt.

But my wise father in law has learned what many never discover: unanswered prayer is not unheard prayer. Every sincere petition reaches the throne of grace, and our sovereign God responds according to His perfect will and timing, not ours.

Divine Timing and Trust

The prophet Isaiah reminds us: "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord" (Isaiah 55:8). God operates from an eternal perspective while we see only the present moment. What appears as delay may actually be divine preparation.

Consider Lazarus. When Jesus received word that His friend was ill, "he abode two days still in the same place" (John 11:6). Mary and Martha wondered why their urgent message seemed ignored. Yet Jesus had a greater purpose not merely to heal sickness, but to demonstrate His power over death itself.

Expectant Waiting

There's a profound difference between passive resignation and active, expectant waiting. Jesse's words reveal not defeat, but faith filled anticipation. He has learned to say with the psalmist: "Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart" (Psalm 27:14).

This waiting acknowledges that our loving Father is always at work, even when we cannot trace His hand. It trusts that He "worketh all things after the counsel of his own will" (Ephesians 1:11) with purposes that transcend our understanding.

The Wisdom of Age

There's something beautiful about hearing such words from someone who has lived nearly a century. This man has witnessed world wars, upheavals, and countless trials. Through it all, he has learned that God's track record is perfect, even when His methods are mysterious. His patient faith comes not from naivety, but from a lifetime of seeing God work in unexpected ways and perfect timing.

Living in the Meanwhile

Today, as you bring your requests before God, remember this godly patriarch's wisdom. When the heavens seem silent and your prayers appear unanswered, choose to declare: "God is at work in this. I need to wait and see what He does."

Let your heart find rest knowing that "the Lord will perfect that which concerneth me" (Psalm 138:8). Trust that the God who numbers your hairs is intimately aware of your situation and working with perfect wisdom on your behalf.

In the waiting, worship. In the silence, trust. In the mystery, marvel. For our God is always at work, and His timing is always perfect.

"Be still, and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10).

Be sure to Like, Share, Follow and subscribe it helps get the word out.

https://linktr.ee/rttbros

The Midnight Hour #RTTBROS #Nightlight

The Midnight Hour

When God's timing seems all wrong

"And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them." (Acts 16:25)

There's a story that happened on July 16, 1969, that most people have never heard. While the whole world was watching Apollo 11 launch toward the moon, a maintenance worker named Frank Borman was working the night shift at NASA's Mission Control. Around midnight, all the computer systems started showing errors that could have ended the mission before it really began.

Frank had been working double shifts for weeks, he was exhausted, and honestly, he was tempted to wake up the day shift supervisor and let someone else handle the crisis. But something told him to stay with it. For the next four hours, he worked through every possible solution until he found the problem, a tiny loose connection that was causing all the chaos. His midnight diligence helped save the mission that would put the first man on the moon.

Sometimes our most important work happens at midnight, when nobody's watching, when we're tired and discouraged, when it would be easier to quit than to keep going.

Paul and Silas understood this. They had been beaten with rods, thrown into prison, and locked in stocks. It was midnight, literally and figuratively, the darkest hour of their circumstances.

But instead of complaining, they prayed and sang praises to God. And here's what gets me about this story, the other prisoners were listening. In their darkest hour, Paul and Silas became a witness to people who desperately needed hope.

Then God showed up. An earthquake shook the prison, the doors flew open, and everyone's chains fell off. The jailer ended up getting saved along with his whole family. What looked like the worst thing that could happen became the setup for God's greatest work.

I've learned over the years that our midnight hours often become our ministry hours. During my own dark seasons, when the church was struggling or criticism was heavy, I learned things about God's faithfulness that I never could have learned in the sunshine seasons.

You know, it's easy to praise God when everything is going well. But the real test of our faith comes at midnight, when the bottom drops out, when the diagnosis is bad, when the relationship fails.

The question isn't whether you'll face midnight hours, you will. The question is: what will you do when they come? Will you complain and give up, or will you pray and sing praises like Paul and Silas?

Maybe you're in a midnight hour right now. Let me encourage you with this: keep praying, keep praising, keep trusting. God does some of His best work at midnight, and your midnight hour might be setting the stage for God's morning miracle.

Be sure to Like, Share, Follow and subscribe it helps get the word out.

https://linktr.ee/rttbros

The Foundation #RTTBROS #Nightlight

I heard about a young man who was told by his teachers that he'd never amount to much in school. They said he was slow, couldn't keep up, and frankly, some of them thought he was just not very bright. But that young man had something his critics didn't see, he had a foundation of curiosity and determination that wouldn't quit. Years later, Albert Einsteins theories changed how we understand the universe itself.

Sometimes what looks like weakness is actually the foundation for something amazing.

Jesus told a story in Matthew 7:24-25 that goes right to the heart of this: "Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock."

You know what I've learned in my years of ministry? It's not the storms that determine whether you'll make it through, it's what you're built on. And friend, if you're built on the solid rock of Jesus Christ and His Word, you can weather anything life throws at you.

I've seen people who looked like they had it all together on the outside, but when the first real storm hit their lives, everything fell apart because they were built on sand. And I've seen folks who didn't look like much by the world's standards, but when the hurricanes of life came roaring through, they stood firm because they were anchored to something eternal.

The difference wasn't in their circumstances. The difference wasn't in their intelligence or their bank account or their connections. The difference was in their foundation.

See, when you build your life on God's Word, when you make Jesus Christ the cornerstone of everything you do, you're not building on shifting sand. You're building on the Rock of Ages. And that foundation has never failed, not once in all of human history.

So today, let me ask you, what are you building on? When the storms come, and they will come, what's going to keep you standing? Is it your job? Your relationships? Your own strength and wisdom?

Or is it Jesus?

Because everything else is sand, friend. Everything else will shift and crumble when the pressure gets great enough. But the Word of God endures forever, and the One who spoke that Word into existence is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Build on the Rock. Everything else is just sand waiting for the next storm.

Care Casting #RTTBROS #Nightlight

The Clues #RTTBROS #Nightlight

The Clues

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Matthew 6:33 (KJV)

At the end of each day, I empty my pockets onto the bed, a ritual that reveals more about me than any resume ever could. There's the putty knife and safety glasses that mark my custodial work, the box cutter that speaks to deliveries received, and the ever-present pen and note cards where I capture fleeting thoughts for sermons and podcasts. A handkerchief for persistent sinus troubles, breath drops for an ongoing battle, and safety gloves that protect my hands as I serve.

These pocket contents are like spiritual fingerprints, they tell the story of how I spend my hours, what matters enough to carry with me, and where my heart truly dwells. A stranger rifling through these items could piece together not just my profession, but my priorities.

The same is true for all of us. Walk into someone's office, their car, their home, and you'll find evidence of what captures their attention and affection. In my office each morning, an open Bible rests beside a steaming cup of coffee, both essentials for starting the day right. The Psalms beckoning, the caffeine awakening, but more importantly, the quiet moment with God grounding everything that follows.

What evidence do we leave behind? When others observe our daily rhythms, our spaces, our conversations, what do they deduce about our walk with the Lord? Do they see a Bible worn from use or pristine from neglect? Do they hear prayers whispered throughout the day or only complaints about circumstances? Do our priorities reflect kingdom values or worldly pursuits?

Jesus reminded us to seek first His kingdom and righteousness. When we do, everything else finds its proper place, including the contents of our pockets, the state of our desks, and the testimony of our daily lives.

Our lives are open books, read not just by God who knows our hearts, but by a watching world that needs to see authentic faith lived out in the ordinary moments. The question isn't whether we're leaving evidence, we always are. The question is: what story is that evidence telling?

Prayer: Lord, may the evidence of my daily life—from the items in my pockets to the priorities in my heart—testify to Your transforming presence. Help me to seek Your kingdom first in all things, both great and small. Amen.

Be sure to Like, Share, Follow and subscribe it helps get the word out.

https://linktr.ee/rttbros

Limitations #RTTBROS #nightlight

Limitations #RTTBROS #nightlight

The Preacher Who Lost His Voice

"And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power." 1 Corinthians 2:4

Charles Spurgeon was known as the "Prince of Preachers," a man whose voice could fill the largest auditoriums of his day without amplification. For over thirty years, he preached to thousands every Sunday at the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London. But in his later years, something happened that would have devastated most preachers, he began to lose his voice.

It started gradually. His throat would get hoarse after long sermons. Then it became harder and harder for him to project his voice to the massive crowds. Doctors told him he needed to rest, to take breaks from preaching, but Spurgeon felt the weight of responsibility for his congregation.

I can only imagine how he must have felt. Here was a man whose entire ministry was built on his ability to communicate God's Word powerfully, and slowly but surely, that gift was being taken away. It would be like asking Michelangelo to sculpt with his hands tied behind his back.

But you know what Spurgeon discovered during those difficult days? He learned that God's power doesn't depend on our eloquence. Some of his most powerful messages were delivered when his voice was just a whisper, when people had to lean forward and strain to hear every word.

In one of his final sermons, barely able to speak above a whisper, he said something that has stayed with me for years: "I would rather speak five words from the heart than five thousand words from the head." The man who had been known for his booming voice discovered that sometimes God speaks loudest when we speak softest.

Paul understood this principle when he wrote to the Corinthians. He wasn't trying to impress anyone with fancy words or clever arguments. He was depending on the Holy Spirit to take his simple message and make it powerful in the hearts of his hearers.

Friend, maybe you feel like you don't have the gifts or abilities you think you need to serve God effectively. Maybe you feel like you're not eloquent enough, not smart enough, not talented enough. But remember what Spurgeon learned: God's power is made perfect in our weakness.

It's not about having the loudest voice or the smoothest delivery. It's about having a heart that's surrendered to God and allowing His Spirit to work through our simple, humble efforts. Sometimes the most powerful sermons are preached not from pulpits, but from hospital beds. Sometimes the most effective witnesses are those who can barely whisper, but whose lives speak volumes about God's grace.

Don't let your limitations become excuses. Let them become opportunities for God to show His strength through your weakness.