Most of Garreth’s life has been lived in rebellion to God and to the truths he was taught as a young boy. His parents did their best to lay a solid spiritual foundation for him, but Garreth chose a different road.

Things happened to Garreth at various stages of his life that would have been difficult for even the strongest man to endure. With each trial Garreth grew harder instead of softer toward God. As time went on he continued growing colder and tougher until it seemed nothing could penetrate the protective exterior he had created for himself.

Very recently Garreth was diagnosed with cancer. A smoker for thirty years, he always claimed confidently that this habit would not have the same effect on him as it did on so many before him. Undeterrable confidence was not enough, however, to keep a tumor from appearing on his lung. His breathing and speech already impaired by the tumor, doctors ran further tests and found more spots on his liver. As I write, Garreth is undergoing intensive radiation and chemotherapy treatments. Doctors plan to shrink the tumor and decide how to proceed with treatment.

Garreth is my older brother. Whether he is healed physically or not, my hope and prayer is that he will finally recognize and acknowledge his need for Jesus Christ and receive Him as Savior and Lord. Physical restoration would be great, but the real issue here is that Garreth needs salvation and is running out of chances.

I’m a full time COI missionary in Ukraine. For this summer, 2007, I’m working at COI headquarters in Vero Beach, Florida. I hope to visit my brother and parents in Canada before I return to Ukraine in early September. Not knowing how this story ends, I recognize that the next visit I have with my brother could be our last. What an awesome eternal reunion we would enjoy if he correctly made the most important decision of his life before it’s too late!

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We have learned for years in church that just going to the Sunday services and having a small devotional of five minutes every day is the way to keep a personal relationship with God. This situation has made our relationship with God very limited.

In Matthew 21:13, when Jesus went into the temple he saw that there were people buying and selling; there were moneychangers and people selling animals for sacrifices; these persons had a business inside the temple, so Jesus said: "Scripture says, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you’re turning it into a gathering place for thieves!" Jesus threw them out of the temple and cleaned what they were making inside the temple. Selling animals had become something religious, people came to the temple once a year to buy an animal to pay for their sins, they were animals of their own or not even the first-borns, they gave the worst to God.

Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, God wants to remove from our temple all religiosity today and have a relationship with Him every day at every moment.

In Luke 2:46-49 we see an example when Jesus was twelve years old. He got “lost” in the temple for three days. When He saw the temple, He recognized that it was his Father’s house and said: “I must be in my Father’s business”. Our business is to be with the Father all time, in His house, in His business, every minute, and every day, meditating in His Word and worshiping Him in every moment.

This is called TRUE WORSHIP. This is the result of having a daily life of worship. The Word says in Luke 2:47 that all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. When the relationship with the Father is every day and every moment, you will always know how to give a wise answer to what you face day to day.

Arise, shine; for your Light has come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you! Isaiah 60:1

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