Induction into the Hall of Fame!

Being inducted into the Hall of Fame is the highest honor a professional can receive, it is more than receiving a bronze plague, it encompasses an individual’s beginning, details their struggles and promotes their successes, and celebrates significant contributions made to advance the field they are in.

When the “cloud of witnesses” are being talked about it indicates a numeric quantity. It means there are a whole lot of people in this cloud. Millions of believers have proven God’s faithfulness and because of that they now stand as witnesses to His trustworthiness.

The cloud is not composed of a tiny elite group of super heroes, but a great company of frail humans like you and I who made their way by God’s grace into a powerful testimony.

Recently I was reading an article about the recovery of Carrie Underwood from and accident at her home. I found something the Christian Country Songwriter wrote to be of encouragement as I in the recent months been teaching on sharing your story.

In the article she wrote, “I think that sharing our stories with each other helps us heal and also helps us know that we’re not alone in our trials.” I think it is important for us to see that no matter who a person is or what platform they stand on in life we all have something in common. It is called the “common place” we are involved in life, and life has the tendency to throw us a curve ball, and at times even knock us down. We have to make the choice whether or not we will stay down or get back up.

That is where our story comes in. By sharing your story, you have the opportunity to be induced into the “Cloud of Witnesses” Hall of Fame. You have the opportunity not only to tell of God’s saving Grace but also allow others to take part in His saving grace.

In the last blog, we were talking about the “cloud of witnesses” and how it relates to sharing our story. I don’t know about you but being induced into the “cloud of witnesses” sounds pretty good to me. It’s a believer’s Hall of Fame.

I don’t know about you, but I want in the cloud. I want God to write a story with my life that shows Him to be faithful and true.

Even though He is a great author it doesn’t mean the completion of our story is guaranteed. Just because we are blood bought, born again believers does not automatically mean that every chapter destined for our lives will be written.

Some believers will get to heaven with entire chapters missing from what God intended to write with their lives. Why? Because we are active participants in the developing story. We chose whether or not to allow our story to be writing.

Paul spoke of having to fight the reach the end of his race. “I have fought the good fight, I have kept the faith, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” [2 Tim. 4:7]

If we want all our chapters to be complete, we must run the race with great determination.

Although I am the character for my story, I myself am not writing it. How do I know that? Because if we were writing our own stories they would read quite differently.

David spoke of the Lord as “The God of my salvation” [Psalm 25:5]. He was saying. “God oversees my salvation. He is the one who gets to decide how my salvation will look in the end and how I will get there.”

Most of us like to feel in control of our lives. We like to know what is coming next but that is where faith comes in. If we were in control it would not require faith.

If I were writing my story it would look much different from how it looks right now. There are somethings I would have never chosen on this present path. To be honest I have not always understood or enjoyed His authorship in the moment, but I always return to this: He is the author not me. He is to us as He was to John.

The Alpha and Omega! In the Greek language, Alpha is the first letter in the Greek alphabet and omega is the last letter. If Jesus would have been speaking English He would have said, “I am the A and the Z and every letter in between. In other words, He is the one turning letters into words and forming the sentences that comprise our stories. We must surrender our lives to His pen.

Remember what Carrie said, “I think that sharing our stories with each other helps us heal and also helps us know that we’re not alone in our trials.”

You story has the power to bring healing and wholeness to others who are facing or have faced crisis in their lives.

God bless you today, and know I am praying for each of you.

Pastor Scotty