Growing up, I used to listen to Paul Harvey's -The Rest of the Story- on the radio. His segment wasn't very long, but it always made me stop and listen. Just when you thought he was done, he would say -Stay tuned - for the 'rest of the story' when we return-, in his classic voice. These stories while entertaining usually carried a teaching moment for life which was revealed when he returned with the -rest of the story.---I couldn't help thinking as I left the service, that there was more to this story. Later, I returned to 2 Corinthians 3-12 -Since we have such a hope, we are very bold...- One of the verses Vallerian had shared in a message of his. As I was reading, I realized that there was more to the story - -The Rest of the Story...- if you will.--In 2 Corinthians Chapters 3 and 4, the Apostle Paul reminds the Corinthians -and us today-, that our confidence is in Christ and our sufficiency is from God. In Christ, God -has made us to be ministers of a new covenant, not the letter but the Spirit.- Is this the -Rest of the Story--- COME AND SEE-

The agon of the cross is now history. All pain has been swallowed up in the joy of Resurrection. Jesus is about to ascend to heaven, and His disciples are about to be initiated into the most extraordinary mission the world has ever known, stepping out of their comfort zone to share the message of the risen Savior. God is going to move beyond the boundaries of Israel to let all people know that a relationship with Him is possible through Jesus Christ.--While the filling of the Holy Spirit has been a controversial subject in the modern church, we should remember that the Holy Spirit is Jesus indwelling us to transform our experiences as individuals and as a community. And the Holy Spirit, living in each of us, constitutes a lasting bond that binds us together as a family of God. This is what makes the church the playground of the Holy Spirit.--Do you know what it means to be filled with the Holy Spirit--

Jesus has come from Galilee to Bethany, the other side of Jordan River where John is Baptizing people. To John's surprise, Jesus also wants to be baptized. Everything happening here contradicts John's beliefs and expectations about Jesus. Isn't that what happens to us-- We set ourselves to do what we believe God has called us to do. Then God, in His own way, shows up and shocks us with a surprise. Not with the kind of surprise that confuses us or discourages us, but one that affirms the ministry He has given us. God uses such shocks to assure us that we are obeying His call. His surprises are the seal of approval that we all need---What are some of the surprises you are facing right now--

Israel as a nation is facing a leadership crisis. Everyone is doing what is right in their eyes. But there is also one woman who is facing her unique problem. Hanna is barren and her childlessness is depressing her. So, Hanna takes her bitterness to the only one who can give her peace. Even though Eli, the High Priest, thinks that she is drunk and rebukes her, her tearful prayer reveals that she has had enough and wants the Lord to intervene.--And because the Lord works in mysterious ways, the answer to Hanna's prayer becomes the answer that shapes the history of Israel. The answer to Hanna's prayer does not only meets her need but the need of the nation of Israel as well.--When is the last time you cried in your prayers--

When you read 2 Kings 5, apart from Naaman's military accomplishments and terminal illness, it is the slave girl who gets your attention. We would expect her to be bitter and unhelpful, especially because she has been separated from her friends and family and brought into a foreign land to serve her master's wife. And, even though she is not the main character of the story, it is her faith in the Lord that gives the story its substance. --One young girl in exile becomes a vessel that God uses to bring healing to a gentile commander.--How many times have we looked down upon ourselves because we felt that we were the most unlikely people God could use-- Maybe we should listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit in us for us to realize that greater is He who is in us than the one that is in the world.--Do you still feel like the most unlikely person, God could use--

Jeremiah 29 addresses the reason God's people need to seek the Lord and their motivation for doing so. In this text, God's people were taken captive to discipline them to turn away from the Lord their God. It was a painful experience. Some of them remained in denial as false prophets continued to misguide them. But then, through his prophet who was still in Jerusalem, the Lord spoke to His people, letting them know why they were in the foreign land, what they needed to do and what His plans were.--Because the Lord is involved in their lives, God's people must arrive at the practical idea of seeking the Lord with all their hearts. Not because all is well with them. Not because their prayers are being answered, but because the Lord wants them to do so- --What motivates you to seek the Lord--

The Assyrians want total surrender, and their threats distress the King. If he hoped that his payment would satisfy Sennacherib, he's must be highly disappointed. So as an act of humility, mourning, and supplication, Hezekiah puts on sackcloth and goes to the temple. His actions reveal his dependence on God. King Hezekiah knows that the Lord is aware of what is going on. He knows that he needs to hear a word from the Lord. So, he sends his officials to the prophet Isaiah. This is not a simple act of desperation like other kings. This is an act of personal conviction. Hezekiah is clinging to the belief that hope is alive because the Lord is in control---Many of us have wondered what we should do next. Even though the enemy may speak to us in many ways, the Lord's voice is all we want to hear. We may be tempted to doubt His care and plan, but we will trust and wait to listen to His voice because we know Him and want to do His will.--What is the Lord saying to you today-- Right now--

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. --Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do- forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. --I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

In Luke 18-9-15, Jesus shares the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. It is a parable that we have heard so many times that for some of us, it has become like a comfortable old flipflop on other people's feet. Like the self-righteous Pharisee, many of us approach the Lord with a self-centered attitude. We have turned the grace of God which he has freely given to us into a personal accomplishment.--What is the point of praying when we feel so confident of our own righteousness, that we look down on everybody else--