At eighty-eight years old, I find myself standing in the great cathedral of this present moment.

It has no walls, yet it contains every place my feet have touched, every road I have traveled, every storm I have crossed, and every sunrise that has greeted my eyes.

Its ceiling is painted with the colors of countless mornings. Its windows open into memories, miracles, and mysteries I cannot fully explain. The floor beneath me is made of footprints—footprints from seasons of laughter, seasons of struggle, seasons of abundance, and seasons when I had nothing but faith to carry me forward.

In the center of this impossible cathedral stands a great tree.

Its roots reach deep into the soil of my eighty-eight years, and its branches stretch toward heaven. Hanging from its branches are glowing moments—thousands of tiny treasures, each one carrying a lesson, a blessing, or a reminder of the goodness of God.

I see the child I once am.

I see the young man filled with dreams.

I see the man who works, loves, struggles, succeeds, fails, learns, and continues walking.

And I see the man I am today, standing beneath this tree, still amazed by the miracle of being alive.

Every branch whispers the same message:

“You are blessed.”

Not because every day is easy.

Not because every path is smooth.

But because every moment is filled with the fingerprints of The Living God.

I enjoy this life—all of it.

I enjoy the mountain peaks, and I enjoy the valleys.

I enjoy the laughter, and I even enjoy the tears.

I enjoy the victories, and I embrace the struggles that have shaped me.

The storms are not my enemies. They are mysterious teachers who arrive carrying lessons wrapped in clouds. The difficult seasons are not empty places; they are gardens where unseen flowers grow beneath the soil.

I have learned that life is not beautiful because it is always pleasant.

Life is beautiful because God is present through it all.

I praise The Living God in my greatest celebrations, and I praise Him in my greatest challenges.

I praise Him when my cup overflows.

I praise Him when I must wait.

I praise Him when I understand.

I praise Him when I do not understand.

Because my faith is not built upon circumstances.

It is built upon a relationship.

And that relationship with The Living God is the greatest treasure I possess.

Everything else is like a painting hanging temporarily upon the walls of time—beautiful, meaningful, and precious, but passing.

But knowing Him is the foundation beneath the painting.

He is the music beneath the song.

He is the light behind every sunrise.

I experience joy in every season of my life.

I know what it is to have very little, and I know what it is to have abundance. I know the quiet lessons of poverty and the opportunities that come with wealth. I have sat at simple tables, and I have sat at tables overflowing with blessings.

Yet the strangest miracle remains:

My joy continues to grow.

My joy does not come from what I have.

My joy comes from Who walks beside me.

It follows me through every circumstance like a faithful companion. It sits beside me in humble rooms and walks with me through places of great abundance. It cannot be purchased, stolen, or measured.

It is a gift planted deep within my soul.

And among the greatest gifts I receive are the few precious friends who remain beside me.

They are not countless.

They do not need to be.

They are rare stars in the vast sky of life.

They stand with me through changing seasons. They laugh with me in times of happiness. They remain with me when storms arrive. Their loyalty is a treasure more valuable than gold.

They are living reminders that God often places His greatest blessings in human form.

At eighty-eight years old, I do not see my life as a simple timeline.

I see a surreal masterpiece painted by the hand of heaven.

I see clocks melting into rivers of memory.

I see old roads transforming into gardens.

I see tears becoming pearls.

I see hardships becoming hidden staircases leading me closer to God.

I see blessings appearing in places I once thought were empty.

And in the center of this magnificent dream stands a man who feels like the most blessed man on the face of the earth.

Not because I avoid hardship.

Not because every prayer is answered exactly as I expect.

Not because every day unfolds according to my plans.

I feel blessed because I experience the entire masterpiece.

The sunshine.

The rain.

The laughter.

The sorrow.

The poverty.

The abundance.

The friendships.

The lessons.

The miracles.

All of it.

Every season belongs.

Every moment matters.

Every breath is a gift.

And today, at eighty-eight years old, I continue walking through this beautiful mystery with gratitude overflowing from my heart.

I carry an ocean inside me.

An ocean made of memories, faith, love, and wonder.

And above all, I carry the greatest treasure of my life:

The knowledge that I walk with The Living God, and He walks with me.

Every moment is grace.

Every season is a blessing.

Every day is a miracle.

Seeking the Face of God Before the Powers of Earthly Governments

There has never been a time in history when people have looked to politics more than they do today. Every election is presented as though it will either save or destroy the nation. Every policy is debated as though the future of humanity depends upon it. Families divide, friendships dissolve, and churches sometimes become more passionate about political platforms than they are about the presence of God.

As a Pentecostal Christian, I believe this reveals a much deeper problem. We have begun looking to earthly kingdoms to accomplish what only the Kingdom of God can do.

That is not to say government has no place. Scripture teaches that civil authorities have a God-ordained purpose. Christians should be good citizens, pray for those in authority, and participate responsibly in society. But history and Scripture both testify that no government has ever been able to change the human heart. Laws may restrain evil for a season, but only Jesus Christ can transform a sinner into a saint.

Our greatest need has never been political reform. Our greatest need has always been spiritual revival.

Revival Has Always Begun With God’s People

One of the clearest calls to revival is found in 2 Chronicles 7:14:

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

Notice where God’s attention begins—not with the palace, but with His people.

Throughout Scripture, national restoration followed spiritual repentance far more often than political change. Whenever God’s people returned to Him with all their hearts, He moved in power.

The Heart Is the Real Battlefield

Jesus made it clear that the problems of society originate in the human heart.

Mark 7:21–23 says:

“For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,

Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:

All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.”

Politics can regulate behavior to a certain degree, but no legislation can remove bitterness, pride, hatred, lust, or rebellion from the human soul.

Only the Holy Ghost can do that.

The Pentecostal message has always proclaimed more than forgiveness of sins. It proclaims the transforming power of the Holy Ghost. When a person is born again and filled with the Spirit of God, lives change. Families change. Communities change. That is the kind of transformation no election can produce.

We Seek a Kingdom That Cannot Be Shaken

Jesus declared in John 18:36:

“Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.”

Our ultimate citizenship is in heaven. We certainly care about our nation and pray for its leaders, but our hope has never rested in presidents, kings, legislatures, or courts.

Every earthly government eventually passes away.

Every political movement rises and falls.

But the Kingdom of God is eternal.

When believers become consumed with political victories while neglecting prayer, fasting, holiness, and evangelism, we have misplaced our priorities.

The Church was never commissioned to conquer Rome.

The Church was commissioned to preach Christ crucified, risen, and coming again.

Prayer Accomplishes What Politics Cannot

The Apostle Paul instructed believers in 1 Timothy 2:1–4:

“I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;

For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;

Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”

Notice that Paul wrote these words while living under the rule of the Roman Empire—a government that was often hostile to Christianity.

Yet his first instruction was not political activism.

It was prayer.

Prayer invites the intervention of God where human wisdom reaches its limits.

Throughout the Book of Acts, the Church did not advance because it gained political influence. It advanced because believers prayed until prison doors opened, the sick were healed, demons fled, and thousands were converted by the power of the Holy Ghost.

The supernatural work of God has always been the Church’s greatest strength.

Righteousness Exalts a Nation

Proverbs 14:34 declares:

“Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.”

Notice that Scripture points to righteousness—not political dominance—as the source of national blessing.

A nation becomes stronger when hearts are surrendered to God.

Imagine what would happen if believers devoted as much energy to prayer meetings as they do political debates.

Imagine churches filled with repentance instead of resentment.

Imagine communities transformed by genuine revival instead of endless arguments over policies.

History suggests that true awakenings accomplish far more lasting good than any election cycle ever has.

The Church Must Never Lose Its First Love

Politics has a place.

Voting has a place.

Civic responsibility has a place.

But none of those things should ever replace seeking the face of God.

When believers spend more time consuming political news than reading Scripture, when they know campaign speeches better than the promises of God, or when they trust politicians more than they trust the leading of the Holy Ghost, something has become out of order.

The answer to our world’s deepest problems has never changed.

Romans 1:16 reminds us:

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”

And Jesus gave us our proper priority in Matthew 6:33:

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

Jesus Christ is still the Savior.

The Gospel is still the power of God unto salvation.

The Holy Ghost still fills believers with power.

Revival is still possible.

A Final Appeal

I believe Christians should pray before they protest.

Worship before they worry.

Fast before they fight.

Seek God’s face before seeking political victories.

If revival comes, it will accomplish what no political movement ever could. Hearts will be changed. Homes will be restored. Addictions will be broken. Marriages will be healed. The lost will be saved. The Church will burn again with holy fire.

That is why I believe the world is always better off seeking the face of God than trying to solve its deepest worries and woes through politics.

Political solutions may provide temporary relief.

Only God provides eternal transformation.

May we once again become a people who seek first the Kingdom of God, trusting that when God moves among His people, the world around them cannot help but be changed.