Well, today is Halloween. For those of you who celebrate it or get excited about it; Happy Halloween!! I myself buy candy every year and every year I end up eating most of it. We live on a busy street and it seems that parents are reluctant to allow their children to trick or treat here...Boo! Hoo!
Anyway, I wanted to share a new prayer request with you all today.
A friend of mine is having health problems; she is about 23 years my junior and about to go through some tests. The doctors, at this point, don't think it's anything serious, but only time will tell. Please remember her, I promised to keep her name private, but we would appreciate your prayers.
I am trusting God, that his will be done!
Someone ask me not too long ago if there were prerequisites to getting your prayers answered. I believe that scripture supports the fact that there are at least three prerequisites to the Lord hearing and answering our prayers.
Here are a few references to support this belief.
The first is that we must be a born again child of God. To become a child of God we must confess (ask for forgiveness) and repent (turn away from) our sin.
Romans 10:13 "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord (in prayer) shall be saved." This supports the idea that God will hear the sinner's prayer asking for forgiveness of sin.
The second prerequisite is a clean heart. Supported by:
Psalm 66:18 says "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me."
The dictionary describes the word regard as meaning; "a protective interest" and the word iniquity "a wicked act or sin" let's put these two definitions in the verse and see how it reads.
Psalm 66:18 "If I have a protective interest over the sin in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." This applies to both the saved by grace and the lost sinner. This verse is saying that if we knowingly protect sin in our lives, instead of dealing with it the Lord will not hear our prayers.
I John 1:9 "If we confess our sin, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." He will always cleanse the heart of someone asking for it in prayer, as Christians we need to confess and repent on a consistent basis, keeping our hearts clean so that God can hear and answer our prayers.
The third prerequisite is obedience to God's commands. Supported by the following passages.
I Peter 3:12 "For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous (the born again, child of God) and his ears are open unto their prayers; but the face of the Lord is against (he turns his back to) them that do evil. Isn't it a sad thought, that God would turn his back to us? He must, his holiness will not allow him to look on sin.
I John 3:19-22 "And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. (he knows us, but still loves us) Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.
And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
In spite of our sin, God knows us and loves us. Our sin condemns us before a righteous and holy God. If we have a clean heart before our Savior, we have confidence that he hears us and if we do things that are pleasing in his sight, he hears what we ask and will answer according to his will for us.
You want to pray with confidence? You want to know that you are being heard?
You want to know that God will answer (in his time and according to his will)?
Then, make sure you're his child. Keep your heart pure through confession of sin and obey God's word, keep his commandments, do what is pleasing in his sight. I found this written in the margin of my Bible, it's a quote from my pastor, Jeff Lyle: "Duty belongs to man; but deliverance belongs to God!"
So, Do Right and Be Delivered!!!
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
I have often heard pastors preach on the "equipping of the saints."
I heard the term used again recently and decided to look up some references.
One of the references I came across was one used in the Bible study that I am presently doing.
First of all why do we need to be equipped? Because we are laborers in the Kingdom of God. A huge responsibility that we will stand before our Savior one day to answer for. Obviously, we need to know what our task is, where we are to serve and how to carry it out. Those are different with each of us, and I believe
those ministries should be chosen based on the spiritual giftings that are present in each of us. For instance if your spiritual gift is teaching, you should find a place to use that gift to edify the body of Christ. If your gift is serving, then find a ministry in which you can use that gift to serve others in the body.
According to Beth Moore's study she uses several references to help us understand the process of becoming equipped.
I Corinthians 3:9-We are laborers together with God. We are not in this alone and must depend on Him for the equipping.
In I Corinthians 12:7- This chapter is devoted to the spiritual gifts that were manifested through the holy spirit to be used before the entire word of God was given to us. Specifically in verse 7, "the manifestation of the spirit" is given to every man to profit withal.
We, as Christians, are first to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to carry out the will of our Father, through the ministry He has called us to.
In Acts 1:4-8 Jesus commanded the disciples not to take one more step in their ministries without the Holy Spirit's power. Jesus' message was to stay where they were until His Holy Spirit empowered them to move.
In Ephesians 4:7 & 11-12-"But unto every one of us is given (grace) according to the measure of the gift of Christ"
Verses 11 & 12- "And he gave some; (apostles; and some, prophets; and some evangelists; and some pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry; for the edifying of the body of Christ.)
These verses speak of spiritual gifts and gives the purpose for those gifts to be used to the benefit of the body of Christ (the church)
And finally in II Timothy 3:16-17- "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof; for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."
If the scripture is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness, we must read, study, meditate, memorize and obey the word of God in order to fulfill the rest of the verse (to be striving for perfection) carrying out the will of the Father to the best of our ability and become (thoroughly furnished (equipped) to do the work.
Finally, in Exodus 36 1-7- God uses Bezaleel, who worked under Moses, to show
us that it is important to do the work of God, not only in submission to God's authority, but also, under the direct authority of the person(s) that God has placed over us. "Then wrought Bezaleel and Ahollah, and every wise hearted man, in whom the Lord put wisdom and understanding to (know how to work all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary) according to all that the Lord had commanded."
Therefore, we must realize that we are laborers together with God, we must be empowered by the Holy Spirit, we need to know our spiritual giftings; asking God to lead us into a ministry where those gifts can be best used in the body of Christ, and we are called to know God's word so that we can be a vessel thoroughly equipped to carry out the most important tasks of our lives; ministering to others and reaching souls for the glory of our Father. We must not only be laborers together with God empowered by the Holy Spirit, using our spiritual gifts, and study and apply God's word to our ministry; but it is absolutely essential that we learn to work well, according to the Lord's command, under the authority of the one(s) that God has placed over us.
Many times this is the one thing that hinders the work in the body of Christ the most. It is not always easy to submit to the will of others; but it is essential to the effectual work in the service of Christ. Try this; the next time you dissagree with someone in authority over you, pray for them!! It works, God will either change their heart or he'll change yours.
I heard the term used again recently and decided to look up some references.
One of the references I came across was one used in the Bible study that I am presently doing.
First of all why do we need to be equipped? Because we are laborers in the Kingdom of God. A huge responsibility that we will stand before our Savior one day to answer for. Obviously, we need to know what our task is, where we are to serve and how to carry it out. Those are different with each of us, and I believe
those ministries should be chosen based on the spiritual giftings that are present in each of us. For instance if your spiritual gift is teaching, you should find a place to use that gift to edify the body of Christ. If your gift is serving, then find a ministry in which you can use that gift to serve others in the body.
According to Beth Moore's study she uses several references to help us understand the process of becoming equipped.
I Corinthians 3:9-We are laborers together with God. We are not in this alone and must depend on Him for the equipping.
In I Corinthians 12:7- This chapter is devoted to the spiritual gifts that were manifested through the holy spirit to be used before the entire word of God was given to us. Specifically in verse 7, "the manifestation of the spirit" is given to every man to profit withal.
We, as Christians, are first to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to carry out the will of our Father, through the ministry He has called us to.
In Acts 1:4-8 Jesus commanded the disciples not to take one more step in their ministries without the Holy Spirit's power. Jesus' message was to stay where they were until His Holy Spirit empowered them to move.
In Ephesians 4:7 & 11-12-"But unto every one of us is given (grace) according to the measure of the gift of Christ"
Verses 11 & 12- "And he gave some; (apostles; and some, prophets; and some evangelists; and some pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry; for the edifying of the body of Christ.)
These verses speak of spiritual gifts and gives the purpose for those gifts to be used to the benefit of the body of Christ (the church)
And finally in II Timothy 3:16-17- "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof; for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."
If the scripture is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness, we must read, study, meditate, memorize and obey the word of God in order to fulfill the rest of the verse (to be striving for perfection) carrying out the will of the Father to the best of our ability and become (thoroughly furnished (equipped) to do the work.
Finally, in Exodus 36 1-7- God uses Bezaleel, who worked under Moses, to show
us that it is important to do the work of God, not only in submission to God's authority, but also, under the direct authority of the person(s) that God has placed over us. "Then wrought Bezaleel and Ahollah, and every wise hearted man, in whom the Lord put wisdom and understanding to (know how to work all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary) according to all that the Lord had commanded."
Therefore, we must realize that we are laborers together with God, we must be empowered by the Holy Spirit, we need to know our spiritual giftings; asking God to lead us into a ministry where those gifts can be best used in the body of Christ, and we are called to know God's word so that we can be a vessel thoroughly equipped to carry out the most important tasks of our lives; ministering to others and reaching souls for the glory of our Father. We must not only be laborers together with God empowered by the Holy Spirit, using our spiritual gifts, and study and apply God's word to our ministry; but it is absolutely essential that we learn to work well, according to the Lord's command, under the authority of the one(s) that God has placed over us.
Many times this is the one thing that hinders the work in the body of Christ the most. It is not always easy to submit to the will of others; but it is essential to the effectual work in the service of Christ. Try this; the next time you dissagree with someone in authority over you, pray for them!! It works, God will either change their heart or he'll change yours.
Monday, October 26, 2009
I want to thank you all for your prayers for my phone ministry friend, Mikka.
She got an excellent report from the Dr. today. She is in the clear as far as any illness that will require further tests or treatment. She will have to be seen again in three months. Praise God for his answers to prayer. Please continue to pray for her family as she desires to see God's hand at work in her husband and their relationship. Psalm 34:1 "I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth."
I have spoken about the Bible study that my accountability partner and I are doing. We have reached the study of the construction of the tabernacle finally!!
And a wonderful thought hit me today as I was reading in Exodus chapter 25, where God speaks to Moses and gives him a very extensive list of (offerings) that should be brought to the site where the tabernacle was to be built. I thought it was interesting that the people had so much to bring even though they had been traveling in the wilderness.
Where did they get all that stuff? They didn't go to the corner hardware store, jewelry store or farm....so, I went back to the passage in Exodus chapter 11 and 12 where Pharaoh could not get rid of them quickly enough after the death plague went through the land of Egypt just as Moses had warned it would.
In these two chapters the Bible tells us that God's chosen ones carried with them all of the items that God was asking them now to give as a free will offering to be used in the construction of the tabernacle.
When the people were finally freed from slavery, they didn't know what was ahead, they didn't know that they would fall from God's grace through their sin, they didn't know that they would be wandering for forty years and they didn't dream of how God would design a wonderful way to restore the fellowship he desired to have with His chosen ones through the building of the tabernacle.
But God did know all of these things. He turned the heart of Pharaoh and the Egyptian people to the point that they were showering the children of Israel with gold, silver, brass, cattle, flocks, herds, clothing, and all the other things that God would use to allow the continuance of sacrifices and the ability of the people to construct the tabernacle to His exact specifications; right down to the purple, blue and scarlet yarn that would be used to make the curtains that would hang over the wood construction of the tabernacle walls in Exodus chapter 26.
Isn't God great?? He knows today, exactly what we will need tomorrow and is already making provision for it. Be faithful to him fellow travelers and He will certainly be faithful to you!!!
Seek him and He will find you. Isaiah 65:24 "It shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer; And while they are still speaking, I will hear."
We have no idea what we may face tomorrow; an illness, the loss of a loved one, loss of a job, financial ruin, etc. But God does!! He will make provision for you, no matter what comes into your life..trust Him with everything.
Isaiah 43:2 "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you."
She got an excellent report from the Dr. today. She is in the clear as far as any illness that will require further tests or treatment. She will have to be seen again in three months. Praise God for his answers to prayer. Please continue to pray for her family as she desires to see God's hand at work in her husband and their relationship. Psalm 34:1 "I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth."
I have spoken about the Bible study that my accountability partner and I are doing. We have reached the study of the construction of the tabernacle finally!!
And a wonderful thought hit me today as I was reading in Exodus chapter 25, where God speaks to Moses and gives him a very extensive list of (offerings) that should be brought to the site where the tabernacle was to be built. I thought it was interesting that the people had so much to bring even though they had been traveling in the wilderness.
Where did they get all that stuff? They didn't go to the corner hardware store, jewelry store or farm....so, I went back to the passage in Exodus chapter 11 and 12 where Pharaoh could not get rid of them quickly enough after the death plague went through the land of Egypt just as Moses had warned it would.
In these two chapters the Bible tells us that God's chosen ones carried with them all of the items that God was asking them now to give as a free will offering to be used in the construction of the tabernacle.
When the people were finally freed from slavery, they didn't know what was ahead, they didn't know that they would fall from God's grace through their sin, they didn't know that they would be wandering for forty years and they didn't dream of how God would design a wonderful way to restore the fellowship he desired to have with His chosen ones through the building of the tabernacle.
But God did know all of these things. He turned the heart of Pharaoh and the Egyptian people to the point that they were showering the children of Israel with gold, silver, brass, cattle, flocks, herds, clothing, and all the other things that God would use to allow the continuance of sacrifices and the ability of the people to construct the tabernacle to His exact specifications; right down to the purple, blue and scarlet yarn that would be used to make the curtains that would hang over the wood construction of the tabernacle walls in Exodus chapter 26.
Isn't God great?? He knows today, exactly what we will need tomorrow and is already making provision for it. Be faithful to him fellow travelers and He will certainly be faithful to you!!!
Seek him and He will find you. Isaiah 65:24 "It shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer; And while they are still speaking, I will hear."
We have no idea what we may face tomorrow; an illness, the loss of a loved one, loss of a job, financial ruin, etc. But God does!! He will make provision for you, no matter what comes into your life..trust Him with everything.
Isaiah 43:2 "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you."
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Today was my Sunday to be on the prayer lines again. I am always in awe of how God works. He gave me several wonderful calls today.
One of the young ladies I spoke with really encouraged me with her strong stand she was willing to take. It seems that her ex-boyfriend was not a very good influence on her and as many people think in their minds when approaching a relationship with an unbeliever; she was going to win him to the Lord through having a relationship with him. As many people have experienced, the opposite actually happens. This guy brought her down and out of the will of the Lord for her. She was pulled away from her standards by the desire to be close to the boyfriend. I am so proud of her, because she has recently told him that she cannot get back together with him because of her faith. We prayed together and she encouraged me as much as I was able to encourage her. Please join me in praying for her as she continues to honor Christ with her life. She needs the strength of the Lord to continue to resist the urge to stray from the path that God has for her life. We also need to pray for the salvation of the young man.
God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Another call I answered was from an 85 year old woman who is very dismayed by the policies of our president. She was concerned about her anger and bitterness toward the man that God has put in place to lead our country.
I must say that I have had the same angry feelings because of his policies and the direction in which he is taking our country. I shared with her that I too had to adjust my attitude and confess it as sin and ask God to replace the fear with the assurance that He is in control. Not an easy thing to do!!
She also told me that she was recently diagnosed with lung cancer. The Dr.'s have no idea where it came from, because she has never smoked or drank and there is no obvious reason for the cancer. I have joined her in praying that if God would see fit and it is in accordance with his will that she will be healed.
Join me as I lift her up for healing. She did tell me that she has no fear associated with the cancer. She is totally depending on God to be with her through the process. We had 21 other calls today...and two assurances of salvation; it was a really good day in the Lord's service.....praise His name!!
One of the young ladies I spoke with really encouraged me with her strong stand she was willing to take. It seems that her ex-boyfriend was not a very good influence on her and as many people think in their minds when approaching a relationship with an unbeliever; she was going to win him to the Lord through having a relationship with him. As many people have experienced, the opposite actually happens. This guy brought her down and out of the will of the Lord for her. She was pulled away from her standards by the desire to be close to the boyfriend. I am so proud of her, because she has recently told him that she cannot get back together with him because of her faith. We prayed together and she encouraged me as much as I was able to encourage her. Please join me in praying for her as she continues to honor Christ with her life. She needs the strength of the Lord to continue to resist the urge to stray from the path that God has for her life. We also need to pray for the salvation of the young man.
God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Another call I answered was from an 85 year old woman who is very dismayed by the policies of our president. She was concerned about her anger and bitterness toward the man that God has put in place to lead our country.
I must say that I have had the same angry feelings because of his policies and the direction in which he is taking our country. I shared with her that I too had to adjust my attitude and confess it as sin and ask God to replace the fear with the assurance that He is in control. Not an easy thing to do!!
She also told me that she was recently diagnosed with lung cancer. The Dr.'s have no idea where it came from, because she has never smoked or drank and there is no obvious reason for the cancer. I have joined her in praying that if God would see fit and it is in accordance with his will that she will be healed.
Join me as I lift her up for healing. She did tell me that she has no fear associated with the cancer. She is totally depending on God to be with her through the process. We had 21 other calls today...and two assurances of salvation; it was a really good day in the Lord's service.....praise His name!!
Saturday, October 24, 2009
God is so good!!! Isn't He? We deserve nothing, yet He gives us everything!!
He not only saves us, but preserves, sustains, protects and guides us.
He was, is and is to come. He is Alpha and Omega. He is the Lily of the valley, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, our strength, strong hold and sheild. He goes before us and stand between us and our enemies. His grace is unfailing and his mercy is never ending. WOW!!!
I am also grateful for the wonderful, loving husband God has given me; who has spent his entire life serving God with all his heart. What a privilege to serve along beside him. He has led our children in the ways of the Lord as well.
I only have to speak with one of two people to realize how blessed I truly am.
I am thankful for a wonderful church (Meadow Baptist) in Lawrenceville, GA.
God has given us a pastor who preaches the word with passion, unashamed, and I have spent a lot of time with pastor Jeff, Ms. Amy and their two children over the passed two years. What a blessing to see that he (pastor) lives what he preaches. What you see is what you get. Praise God for Amy who stand beside him and supports him which in turn allows him to be the pastor he needs to be.
I love knowing that when he stands in the pulpit and preaches to us, he is practicing the same principles in his life and with his family.
Pastor and Amy, I am praying for you as you continue to serve God in the place he has led you and your family and us to be co-laborers with Christ and for His glory alone. Thank you, and God bless you!
He not only saves us, but preserves, sustains, protects and guides us.
He was, is and is to come. He is Alpha and Omega. He is the Lily of the valley, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, our strength, strong hold and sheild. He goes before us and stand between us and our enemies. His grace is unfailing and his mercy is never ending. WOW!!!
I am also grateful for the wonderful, loving husband God has given me; who has spent his entire life serving God with all his heart. What a privilege to serve along beside him. He has led our children in the ways of the Lord as well.
I only have to speak with one of two people to realize how blessed I truly am.
I am thankful for a wonderful church (Meadow Baptist) in Lawrenceville, GA.
God has given us a pastor who preaches the word with passion, unashamed, and I have spent a lot of time with pastor Jeff, Ms. Amy and their two children over the passed two years. What a blessing to see that he (pastor) lives what he preaches. What you see is what you get. Praise God for Amy who stand beside him and supports him which in turn allows him to be the pastor he needs to be.
I love knowing that when he stands in the pulpit and preaches to us, he is practicing the same principles in his life and with his family.
Pastor and Amy, I am praying for you as you continue to serve God in the place he has led you and your family and us to be co-laborers with Christ and for His glory alone. Thank you, and God bless you!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
I've started to get some comments from my " ".
I really don't like the term "followers". So let's have a contest.
Send me a comment telling me what you think I should call the people who read my blog. I want you all to be followers of the only one who is worthy of having true followers; Christ. Let's make it fun!! If you will send me a suggestion, I will send you something in return.
The one who sends the winning entry, I will send you a nice prize.
So far I have had the suggestions of "fish" which I really like. The other suggestion was "Sundays" this is a term that another blogger uses to describe their followers.
Put your thinking caps on and let me hear from you. I know all of you and you are creative people!!!! Thank you for continuing to read the blog.
I also want to become " " of your blog, if you have one, so send me your URL address and I will visit you blog.....thanks everyone!!
One other thing; the young lady that contacted me through the prayer line at the church, has been going through a health problem. Test have been done and some of those were really good, a definite answer to prayer. But, she still needs a follow-up test and then she will know what course of action to take. Her name is Mikka, please lift her up in your prayers and continue to pray for myself and the other two ladies that I am having Bible study with as we strive to grow closer to the Lord and resolve some life issues.
God bless you all!
I really don't like the term "followers". So let's have a contest.
Send me a comment telling me what you think I should call the people who read my blog. I want you all to be followers of the only one who is worthy of having true followers; Christ. Let's make it fun!! If you will send me a suggestion, I will send you something in return.
The one who sends the winning entry, I will send you a nice prize.
So far I have had the suggestions of "fish" which I really like. The other suggestion was "Sundays" this is a term that another blogger uses to describe their followers.
Put your thinking caps on and let me hear from you. I know all of you and you are creative people!!!! Thank you for continuing to read the blog.
I also want to become " " of your blog, if you have one, so send me your URL address and I will visit you blog.....thanks everyone!!
One other thing; the young lady that contacted me through the prayer line at the church, has been going through a health problem. Test have been done and some of those were really good, a definite answer to prayer. But, she still needs a follow-up test and then she will know what course of action to take. Her name is Mikka, please lift her up in your prayers and continue to pray for myself and the other two ladies that I am having Bible study with as we strive to grow closer to the Lord and resolve some life issues.
God bless you all!
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
I would like to welcome new readers.
Hi, Amanda, Aaron and A.J!!
Thanks for a wonderful day at your house today.
See you Wednesday at AWANA.
I was working with one of my close friends yesterday and she was relaying a story about her 8 year old. I guess she and her three boys, 8, 14 and 20 years of age, had a discussion about the kind of syrup they liked best on their pancakes.
They decided that Aunt Jemimah was the only brand they really liked.
So they asked their mom to be sure and purchase only Aunt Jemimah.
Last Monday when the kids were out of school, she was making pancakes for the boys and as the eight year old poured the Aunt Jemimah syrup on his stack, he commented on how much he loved "Old Aunt Jemimah".
Suddenly he looked up from his plate and said "Oh, no!!" His mom said "what is it Chad?" He said, with a very worried look on his face, "Mom, I was just wondering, what are we gonna do for syrup when old Aunt Jemimah dies?"
His mom snickered and said, "Well Chad, it won't be a problem because Aunt Jemimah left very specific instructions in her will, that if anything happens to her, her family will be sure to always provide the same wonderful syrup for little boys like you."
I started to think how often people, even those a lot older than eight, get so wrapped up in fantasy that they lose out on the present reality.
Grown ups spending hours in front of the TV, playing video games as if their lives depending on a victory. Spending hours and a lot of money on gas, and food for tale gating to go to a football game in another state, but seem to be too tired to get out of bed on Sunday mornings (or perhaps to hung over) to be in the house of God. People spending hours on line, just wasting time and accomplishing nothing really worthwhile.
We really have some problems with proper priority in our lives.
I wonder how many hours a day we waste on unproductive things, when we could be making a difference in someones life. I am trying to reach out and make a difference in the lives of those around me, I'm really sorry that I waited until I was fifty something to make it one of my priorities......
Do yourself a favor, start today with something small...but do it!!
Try smiling at people that you pass on the street. Introduce yourself to the new guy at work who probably needs a friend in the new environment.
I started doing something a couple of weeks ago. When I drive through the bank I put a lollipop with my checks and deposit slip. I get lots of nice comments and smiles from people who are serving me.
It really is easy to make a difference. Try it, it pays dividends!!!
Hi, Amanda, Aaron and A.J!!
Thanks for a wonderful day at your house today.
See you Wednesday at AWANA.
I was working with one of my close friends yesterday and she was relaying a story about her 8 year old. I guess she and her three boys, 8, 14 and 20 years of age, had a discussion about the kind of syrup they liked best on their pancakes.
They decided that Aunt Jemimah was the only brand they really liked.
So they asked their mom to be sure and purchase only Aunt Jemimah.
Last Monday when the kids were out of school, she was making pancakes for the boys and as the eight year old poured the Aunt Jemimah syrup on his stack, he commented on how much he loved "Old Aunt Jemimah".
Suddenly he looked up from his plate and said "Oh, no!!" His mom said "what is it Chad?" He said, with a very worried look on his face, "Mom, I was just wondering, what are we gonna do for syrup when old Aunt Jemimah dies?"
His mom snickered and said, "Well Chad, it won't be a problem because Aunt Jemimah left very specific instructions in her will, that if anything happens to her, her family will be sure to always provide the same wonderful syrup for little boys like you."
I started to think how often people, even those a lot older than eight, get so wrapped up in fantasy that they lose out on the present reality.
Grown ups spending hours in front of the TV, playing video games as if their lives depending on a victory. Spending hours and a lot of money on gas, and food for tale gating to go to a football game in another state, but seem to be too tired to get out of bed on Sunday mornings (or perhaps to hung over) to be in the house of God. People spending hours on line, just wasting time and accomplishing nothing really worthwhile.
We really have some problems with proper priority in our lives.
I wonder how many hours a day we waste on unproductive things, when we could be making a difference in someones life. I am trying to reach out and make a difference in the lives of those around me, I'm really sorry that I waited until I was fifty something to make it one of my priorities......
Do yourself a favor, start today with something small...but do it!!
Try smiling at people that you pass on the street. Introduce yourself to the new guy at work who probably needs a friend in the new environment.
I started doing something a couple of weeks ago. When I drive through the bank I put a lollipop with my checks and deposit slip. I get lots of nice comments and smiles from people who are serving me.
It really is easy to make a difference. Try it, it pays dividends!!!
Friday, October 16, 2009
Today, I got an update from the young lady from a few weeks ago that I spoke with during the phone ministry at my church. She is having a really hard time understanding why God is allowing the difficulties in her life right now.
I of course told her that I can't really tell her why...but I do know that God has made many promises to us as Christians that she needs to keep in mind during difficult times.
In Deuteronomy 23:14 "For the Lord thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp, to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee; therefore shall thy camp be holy that he see no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee.
God is asking us to examine our hearts for sin (known and unknown) to rid our hearts of it and then He is there to deliver us and to give us the victory over our enemies (whatever or whoever they are).
In Psalm 84:11-12 "For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee." Keep on trusting, no matter what the enemy tells you!!!
Zephaniah 3:17 "The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing."
What wonderful promises to be with us, to be light and strength and give us the victory over our enemy......praise God for His wonderful grace and mercy to us; we are so unworthy!!! Rest in Him today and always.
I of course told her that I can't really tell her why...but I do know that God has made many promises to us as Christians that she needs to keep in mind during difficult times.
In Deuteronomy 23:14 "For the Lord thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp, to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee; therefore shall thy camp be holy that he see no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee.
God is asking us to examine our hearts for sin (known and unknown) to rid our hearts of it and then He is there to deliver us and to give us the victory over our enemies (whatever or whoever they are).
In Psalm 84:11-12 "For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee." Keep on trusting, no matter what the enemy tells you!!!
Zephaniah 3:17 "The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing."
What wonderful promises to be with us, to be light and strength and give us the victory over our enemy......praise God for His wonderful grace and mercy to us; we are so unworthy!!! Rest in Him today and always.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
I woke up this morning thinking about my brothers. I grew up with four brothers and no sisters. I was sandwiched in between two older and two younger brothers. I always felt so lucky, even though there were no girls in my family and strangely enough I grew up in a small neighborhood where there were no girls, at least none close enough to my age for me to pal around with.
I remember many days of cowboys and Indians, climbing trees and running full throttle trying my best to keep up with them and even one-up them.
I didn't really understand then what God was doing. But I married into a family of great athletes. My mother-in-law has been an excellent athlete her entire life. She was an all star softball player, and has told me many stories of bowling with a sixteen lb. ball to within only a few weeks of delivering her children. As far as I know she's the only one in the family to have gotten a hole in one, even though the entire family has played golf for years. My husband grew up playing baseball and golf. He taught our boys to play and coached them through high school and one of them even into college. One of the first gifts my husband bought me after our marriage was a cheap set of golf clubs so that I could accompany the rest of the family on the golf excursions. So the fact that I was a tom boy growing up and had a leg up on understanding the male psyche has been a real asset to me throughout my 34 years of marriage.
I spoke to three of my brothers today, to let them know that I was thinking about them and that I love them. I will keep trying to reach #4 tomorrow.
My oldest brother, David, is a craftsman.
He builds furniture, much of which has been fashioned out of old barn wood, old doors, and old windows that have been removed from houses being demolished. He is so creative and just has an eye for design and color. He has built a good business for himself through his talent.
My next older brother, Darrell, is also very tallented. His talent is not only in the area of building and carpentry, but also, drawing and painting and he is wonderful with computer animation, music and graphics. Darrell is the one who was able to spend time with my mom after her stroke, and especially with my dad following her death. Thank you Darrell for your sacrificial heart and the love you showered on mom and dad during those last four years of their lives.
My brother who is closest to my age Doug, who is 11 months younger than me is an associate pastor and school administrator in California. He is also very talented in the building area, is brilliant with computers and is a very creative writer. He wrote some beautiful things about our mother to share at her funeral.
Do you see a theme developing here? Creativity runs very deeply in this family!!
My youngest brother, Danny, is a landscaper. He is creative in a different way.
I once saw pictures of some of the beautiful landscapes his company did. He is also a car buff. Enjoys messing around with cars with some of his friends. I think I heard some rumblings about "racing"!!!
And as for myself, I got a huge dose of creativity, which came for the most part, from my mom. I love to cook. I sew a lot. I love to paint. My mom taught me to do all of these things and so much more. I am grateful for that everyday.
Both of my parents taught all of us kids the value of working hard (three of us own our own businesses). They also taught us that we are priviledged to live in America, to be good citizens and to be responsible in our actions.
Last, but certainly not least, they taught us the importance of trusting God (all five of us grew up in the church and began our relationships with Christ at an early age) one of my brothers, as I stated earlier is an associate pastor and I have always had some sort of ministry in the service of my Savior.
I am thrilled that God gave Don and I the privilge of passing this heritage down to our own three children and Lord willing, if the kids will hurry and give me some grandchildren, we will have the honor of passing it to yet another generation. I can't wait!!!!
I remember many days of cowboys and Indians, climbing trees and running full throttle trying my best to keep up with them and even one-up them.
I didn't really understand then what God was doing. But I married into a family of great athletes. My mother-in-law has been an excellent athlete her entire life. She was an all star softball player, and has told me many stories of bowling with a sixteen lb. ball to within only a few weeks of delivering her children. As far as I know she's the only one in the family to have gotten a hole in one, even though the entire family has played golf for years. My husband grew up playing baseball and golf. He taught our boys to play and coached them through high school and one of them even into college. One of the first gifts my husband bought me after our marriage was a cheap set of golf clubs so that I could accompany the rest of the family on the golf excursions. So the fact that I was a tom boy growing up and had a leg up on understanding the male psyche has been a real asset to me throughout my 34 years of marriage.
I spoke to three of my brothers today, to let them know that I was thinking about them and that I love them. I will keep trying to reach #4 tomorrow.
My oldest brother, David, is a craftsman.
He builds furniture, much of which has been fashioned out of old barn wood, old doors, and old windows that have been removed from houses being demolished. He is so creative and just has an eye for design and color. He has built a good business for himself through his talent.
My next older brother, Darrell, is also very tallented. His talent is not only in the area of building and carpentry, but also, drawing and painting and he is wonderful with computer animation, music and graphics. Darrell is the one who was able to spend time with my mom after her stroke, and especially with my dad following her death. Thank you Darrell for your sacrificial heart and the love you showered on mom and dad during those last four years of their lives.
My brother who is closest to my age Doug, who is 11 months younger than me is an associate pastor and school administrator in California. He is also very talented in the building area, is brilliant with computers and is a very creative writer. He wrote some beautiful things about our mother to share at her funeral.
Do you see a theme developing here? Creativity runs very deeply in this family!!
My youngest brother, Danny, is a landscaper. He is creative in a different way.
I once saw pictures of some of the beautiful landscapes his company did. He is also a car buff. Enjoys messing around with cars with some of his friends. I think I heard some rumblings about "racing"!!!
And as for myself, I got a huge dose of creativity, which came for the most part, from my mom. I love to cook. I sew a lot. I love to paint. My mom taught me to do all of these things and so much more. I am grateful for that everyday.
Both of my parents taught all of us kids the value of working hard (three of us own our own businesses). They also taught us that we are priviledged to live in America, to be good citizens and to be responsible in our actions.
Last, but certainly not least, they taught us the importance of trusting God (all five of us grew up in the church and began our relationships with Christ at an early age) one of my brothers, as I stated earlier is an associate pastor and I have always had some sort of ministry in the service of my Savior.
I am thrilled that God gave Don and I the privilge of passing this heritage down to our own three children and Lord willing, if the kids will hurry and give me some grandchildren, we will have the honor of passing it to yet another generation. I can't wait!!!!
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
It's now only 79 days until the "follow me" project begins on January 1st.
For those who are following this blog. Thank you. I am excited about the months ahead.
But, I wish there was another term to use for those who read the blog.
I don't want my readers to be called my "followers".
It is disturbing to me to have people following me.
I am terrible with directions, just ask my son Stephen and his baseball team mate who was in the car with me back when he was in high school.
It's funny to tell it now, but then, it wasn't so funny.
My husband, Don, was out of town and flying into the Tampa airport to meet us in a couple of days. My son, Stephen, and another of the ball players had obligations in Atlanta, so we were going to meet everyone else in Florida for a baseball tournament. We started out on our journey, everything was going great. The boys fell asleep in the back seat and I was just driving along and driving and driving and driving. When the boys woke up we had covered many miles. Stephen poked his head into the front seat and said, "Where are we?" I said, "We're well on our way." He said, "What city are we in?"
I said, "Let's look at the next sign and see how far we have left to go."
The next sign was welcoming us into Montgomery, Alabama.
Well, obviously, I had missed something along the way.
But, thank God, He was much more alert than me. I stopped at the next gas station and there in the parking lot was a big rig driver, with an atlas already spread out on his hood. I walked over and said, "How do I get to Florida from here?" After explaining myself, he said that I had missed the turn at I-75 in Atlanta. When I asked him what I should do, he told me I had two choices; I could either go all the way back to Atlanta and connect with I-75 or I could cut directly across the state and connect with I-75 in another place.
After comparing the time and distances, we chose to go across the state.
We made it to the meeting place with the rest of the team, it just took us a little longer than the other players to get there. I always told everyone that we decided to take the scenic route!!!
Thank God for that driver with the atlas, we might still be trying to find our destination. You can also ask my husband, Don, no matter how many times we've been to a location, if it's more than 50 miles away, I always have to confirm the directions, and there's still no guarantee that I won't call him from somewhere along the way. I thank God for Don as well, he's rescued me many times during our 34 years of marriage.
Anyway, you get my drift. If you ever go anywhere with me, bring an atlas!!
But, please do continue to read my blog. In 79 days the journey through the Bible begins. I love God's word, something my dad instilled in me.
I am not a Bible scholar, and will not do a lot of interpretation, but, I want the word of God to be real in my life, so I will be sharing what God does in my life throughout the study of His word. My prayer is that by going on this journey with me, you too will learn to love God's word and will see Him working in your life during the course of the year.
The point of all of this is: follow someone who is worthy to be followed, can always be trusted, and will never let you down...the one who came to seek and to save the lost, the one who sees your life's path from beginning to end; Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever...Amen!
For those who are following this blog. Thank you. I am excited about the months ahead.
But, I wish there was another term to use for those who read the blog.
I don't want my readers to be called my "followers".
It is disturbing to me to have people following me.
I am terrible with directions, just ask my son Stephen and his baseball team mate who was in the car with me back when he was in high school.
It's funny to tell it now, but then, it wasn't so funny.
My husband, Don, was out of town and flying into the Tampa airport to meet us in a couple of days. My son, Stephen, and another of the ball players had obligations in Atlanta, so we were going to meet everyone else in Florida for a baseball tournament. We started out on our journey, everything was going great. The boys fell asleep in the back seat and I was just driving along and driving and driving and driving. When the boys woke up we had covered many miles. Stephen poked his head into the front seat and said, "Where are we?" I said, "We're well on our way." He said, "What city are we in?"
I said, "Let's look at the next sign and see how far we have left to go."
The next sign was welcoming us into Montgomery, Alabama.
Well, obviously, I had missed something along the way.
But, thank God, He was much more alert than me. I stopped at the next gas station and there in the parking lot was a big rig driver, with an atlas already spread out on his hood. I walked over and said, "How do I get to Florida from here?" After explaining myself, he said that I had missed the turn at I-75 in Atlanta. When I asked him what I should do, he told me I had two choices; I could either go all the way back to Atlanta and connect with I-75 or I could cut directly across the state and connect with I-75 in another place.
After comparing the time and distances, we chose to go across the state.
We made it to the meeting place with the rest of the team, it just took us a little longer than the other players to get there. I always told everyone that we decided to take the scenic route!!!
Thank God for that driver with the atlas, we might still be trying to find our destination. You can also ask my husband, Don, no matter how many times we've been to a location, if it's more than 50 miles away, I always have to confirm the directions, and there's still no guarantee that I won't call him from somewhere along the way. I thank God for Don as well, he's rescued me many times during our 34 years of marriage.
Anyway, you get my drift. If you ever go anywhere with me, bring an atlas!!
But, please do continue to read my blog. In 79 days the journey through the Bible begins. I love God's word, something my dad instilled in me.
I am not a Bible scholar, and will not do a lot of interpretation, but, I want the word of God to be real in my life, so I will be sharing what God does in my life throughout the study of His word. My prayer is that by going on this journey with me, you too will learn to love God's word and will see Him working in your life during the course of the year.
The point of all of this is: follow someone who is worthy to be followed, can always be trusted, and will never let you down...the one who came to seek and to save the lost, the one who sees your life's path from beginning to end; Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever...Amen!
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
I was sent an amazing video from my aunt Dottie this morning about a 92
year old woman who was confronted by a robber after loading her groceries in her car. It has made the national news.
She had read a passage in her Bible in the morning before it happened.
The passage was in II Chronicles 7 and verse 14 "If my people who 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."
After loading her groceries she got into her car and was immediately accosted by a guy who jumped into the front passenger seat and told her he had a gun. He ask her for her money and she refused to give it to him; not once but three times. How much courage does that take?? More than most of us have. She proceeded to tell the man that Jesus was in the car with her and that He went with her everywhere she went. She then told him that the worst that could happen to her would be that she would go to heaven if he killed her, but, he would go to hell. She said the man began to cry, his demeanor changed, and he told her he was going to go home and pray. She said you don't have to wait until you get home. You can pray anywhere. She then gave all the money she had to him ($10.00) and said don't spend it on liquor now!!
As I watched the video of this brave elderly lady trusting God with her very life, in order to be a witness for Him, I knew that God had put her in that situation to reach this young man. I've always been told that God works in mysterious ways that are so much higher than ours that they are above our understanding. This is definitely a case in point!!!
May God grant us the strength and courage to recognize the opportunities that are given to us to reach those around us; no matter the circumstance!!
As the video went back to the news reporter. His last comment was that the station had contacted the lady and invited her to come to New York for interviews and she refused, saying "No, I think I'll just reach people right here where I am." Isn't that what God has commanded all of His children to do?
What a blessing and inspiration. May God give this lady many more years.
I have a feeling that she has been inspiring people her entire life.
Have a blessed day and take advantage of every opportunity to live for Christ.
year old woman who was confronted by a robber after loading her groceries in her car. It has made the national news.
She had read a passage in her Bible in the morning before it happened.
The passage was in II Chronicles 7 and verse 14 "If my people who 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."
After loading her groceries she got into her car and was immediately accosted by a guy who jumped into the front passenger seat and told her he had a gun. He ask her for her money and she refused to give it to him; not once but three times. How much courage does that take?? More than most of us have. She proceeded to tell the man that Jesus was in the car with her and that He went with her everywhere she went. She then told him that the worst that could happen to her would be that she would go to heaven if he killed her, but, he would go to hell. She said the man began to cry, his demeanor changed, and he told her he was going to go home and pray. She said you don't have to wait until you get home. You can pray anywhere. She then gave all the money she had to him ($10.00) and said don't spend it on liquor now!!
As I watched the video of this brave elderly lady trusting God with her very life, in order to be a witness for Him, I knew that God had put her in that situation to reach this young man. I've always been told that God works in mysterious ways that are so much higher than ours that they are above our understanding. This is definitely a case in point!!!
May God grant us the strength and courage to recognize the opportunities that are given to us to reach those around us; no matter the circumstance!!
As the video went back to the news reporter. His last comment was that the station had contacted the lady and invited her to come to New York for interviews and she refused, saying "No, I think I'll just reach people right here where I am." Isn't that what God has commanded all of His children to do?
What a blessing and inspiration. May God give this lady many more years.
I have a feeling that she has been inspiring people her entire life.
Have a blessed day and take advantage of every opportunity to live for Christ.
Monday, October 12, 2009
I am taking a day today to get some things done around the house.
A little sewing, a little cooking and a little cleaning. I also need to do a little laundry. Day to day things that I didn't have enough days to get done last week.
But my day needs to start off with a little time with my hubby and my Bible study. I'll make some breakfast and hang out with Don and then when he leaves for work, I'll get my stuff done.
I was reminded about a wonderful passage of scripture yesterday in Proverbs chapter 3. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your path."
What a fantastic call to us as Christians, to trust fully in our Lord, without trying to work it out with our understanding. He promises to direct us if we will simply trust him and acknowledge him with our words and deeds!!!
I am going to try in every way to acknowledge Him today. In everything I say, everything I do, and in every attitude I display. May God give us the courage to take this simple piece of wisdom from His word and apply it to our lives.
Have a great day....walking with Him.
A little sewing, a little cooking and a little cleaning. I also need to do a little laundry. Day to day things that I didn't have enough days to get done last week.
But my day needs to start off with a little time with my hubby and my Bible study. I'll make some breakfast and hang out with Don and then when he leaves for work, I'll get my stuff done.
I was reminded about a wonderful passage of scripture yesterday in Proverbs chapter 3. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your path."
What a fantastic call to us as Christians, to trust fully in our Lord, without trying to work it out with our understanding. He promises to direct us if we will simply trust him and acknowledge him with our words and deeds!!!
I am going to try in every way to acknowledge Him today. In everything I say, everything I do, and in every attitude I display. May God give us the courage to take this simple piece of wisdom from His word and apply it to our lives.
Have a great day....walking with Him.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
It's another beautiful Sunday. A day to worship God, the day of rest.
I wonder how often we actually observe Sunday as a day of rest; not to the extreme that the spiritual leaders (Pharisees) of the Bible. Who had so many laws and regulations that even they could not remember or possible observe them all.
Some times I think we go to the opposite extreme. The day that our secular jobs have given us off for centuries, which began out of respect for the people who wanted to go to church and worship on Sundays, has been turned into a day when we do what we cannot do on the other days of the week when we are required to work.
How sad that we cannot set aside a day when God's people can worship him as a people. "forsaking not the assembling of ourselves together" as it says in Hebrews 10:25. What a wonderful passage this is (Hebrews chapter 10)..
Here God uses such beautiful language to tell us that the sacrifices that were made by early Christians were just a shadow of the true sacrifice for sin.
When Jesus Christ died on the cross, He was the final sacrifice for our sins.
Praise God that we now can worship anywhere, and at any time.
But, later in the chapter God exhorts us to gather for several reasons;
to " provoke one another to love and good works" "exhorting one another" and
to do this "the more, as ye see the day approaching" this is referring to the return of Christ.
Brothers and sisters, we need each other!! As the world becomes a more difficult place for Christians to live in peace, we need to support and encourage one another more than ever before,to keep the body of Christ focused on the job at hand; to reach others for Christ before it's too late.
May we come together to worship our Savior in spirit and in truth, to edify, encourage, and exhort one another to good works, while there is still time.
I hope you have set aside today to worship with your brothers and sisters in Christ in order to love and exhort them.
I don't know about you, but I need this; to be ready to face a new week in this old world. Have a wonderful day of worship!!
I wonder how often we actually observe Sunday as a day of rest; not to the extreme that the spiritual leaders (Pharisees) of the Bible. Who had so many laws and regulations that even they could not remember or possible observe them all.
Some times I think we go to the opposite extreme. The day that our secular jobs have given us off for centuries, which began out of respect for the people who wanted to go to church and worship on Sundays, has been turned into a day when we do what we cannot do on the other days of the week when we are required to work.
How sad that we cannot set aside a day when God's people can worship him as a people. "forsaking not the assembling of ourselves together" as it says in Hebrews 10:25. What a wonderful passage this is (Hebrews chapter 10)..
Here God uses such beautiful language to tell us that the sacrifices that were made by early Christians were just a shadow of the true sacrifice for sin.
When Jesus Christ died on the cross, He was the final sacrifice for our sins.
Praise God that we now can worship anywhere, and at any time.
But, later in the chapter God exhorts us to gather for several reasons;
to " provoke one another to love and good works" "exhorting one another" and
to do this "the more, as ye see the day approaching" this is referring to the return of Christ.
Brothers and sisters, we need each other!! As the world becomes a more difficult place for Christians to live in peace, we need to support and encourage one another more than ever before,to keep the body of Christ focused on the job at hand; to reach others for Christ before it's too late.
May we come together to worship our Savior in spirit and in truth, to edify, encourage, and exhort one another to good works, while there is still time.
I hope you have set aside today to worship with your brothers and sisters in Christ in order to love and exhort them.
I don't know about you, but I need this; to be ready to face a new week in this old world. Have a wonderful day of worship!!
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Today we are going to the Apple Festival in Ellijay Georgia.
My husband Don & I are involved with a singles class during Sunday school.
He is the teacher, and I am his faithful sidekick....we have a great group of men and women who love the Lord.
When we started our class we had three regular attendees plus Don and myself.
It has grown to a regular attendance of anywhere from 10 to 20.
We have great activities with them, good fellowship, and we have begun a Bible study in the book of Revelation. Through this week Dale Adamson, is doing three weeks of preliminary teaching. These three weeks will lead us up to the in depth study of Revelation. If you are reading this blog and you do not attend Sunday school I would encourage you to get involved at a Bible teaching church.
Sunday school is a wonderful opportunity for learning.
It gives you the freedom to ask questions and it's also a great time to meet new people and have some wonderful fellowship with fellow believers.
Get going tomorrow morning to Sunday School!!!
My husband Don & I are involved with a singles class during Sunday school.
He is the teacher, and I am his faithful sidekick....we have a great group of men and women who love the Lord.
When we started our class we had three regular attendees plus Don and myself.
It has grown to a regular attendance of anywhere from 10 to 20.
We have great activities with them, good fellowship, and we have begun a Bible study in the book of Revelation. Through this week Dale Adamson, is doing three weeks of preliminary teaching. These three weeks will lead us up to the in depth study of Revelation. If you are reading this blog and you do not attend Sunday school I would encourage you to get involved at a Bible teaching church.
Sunday school is a wonderful opportunity for learning.
It gives you the freedom to ask questions and it's also a great time to meet new people and have some wonderful fellowship with fellow believers.
Get going tomorrow morning to Sunday School!!!
Friday, October 9, 2009
OOOPS!!! I must apologize to those who are following my blog.
I allowed yesterday to pass without a post. This emphasizes to me that I need to work on time management. Yes, I am busy and things happen unexpectedly, that's life, but come January 1st, there will be no excuses! This is good practice for next year's blog through the Bible. Some scheduling changes need to be made before 1/1/2010.
On September 27th during our church phone ministry (prayer lines during our TV broadcast) I spoke with a young lady, who I promised to follow up with.
She and I have been talking and I wanted to let you know that God is working in her life. Her husband accompanied her to church last Sunday, even though she relayed to me that it was obvious that Satan was fighting it. God won the victory...so please continue to join me in praying for her husband and her as God is working in her heart as well.
The conversation I had with her was a reminder to me that when we pray expecting God to answer our prayer, we must also be willing to accept the fact that there may need to be some changes made in our own hearts and lives to see that prayer answered. Often we will pray for sister so-in-so to get her heart right or brother so-in-so the kick that bad habit, without realizing that we have sin in our lives that are affecting the allowance of that prayer to be answered.
In Psalm 66:18 David wrote; "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." If we have sin in our lives, our prayers are unable to be heard by God.
It is imperative that we confess and known of unknown sin to God, before we request anything from Him. I was taught during my college years that when we pray we should (Confess, Adore, Thank and then Request)
1)Prayers of Confession will cleanse our heart (I John 1:9)"If we confess our sin He is faithful and just toforgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
2)Prayers of Adoration confirm our love for Him, and these verses reminds us that it is the first commandment (Matthew 22:37-38) "Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment."
3)Prayers of Thanksgiving are our way of showing our gratitude for what God has done for us (Ephesians 5:20) "Giving thanks always, in all things unto God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
I have always felt that once I've done these three things I am then ready to make request of my father. (Ephesians 4:6) "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." Amen He said in all things!!!!
I find so much comfort in that verse because it reminds me that He loves us so much that He desires to hear us, not just when we need something big to happen, but even in the little things "every thing" Have a blessed day Ya'll!!
I allowed yesterday to pass without a post. This emphasizes to me that I need to work on time management. Yes, I am busy and things happen unexpectedly, that's life, but come January 1st, there will be no excuses! This is good practice for next year's blog through the Bible. Some scheduling changes need to be made before 1/1/2010.
On September 27th during our church phone ministry (prayer lines during our TV broadcast) I spoke with a young lady, who I promised to follow up with.
She and I have been talking and I wanted to let you know that God is working in her life. Her husband accompanied her to church last Sunday, even though she relayed to me that it was obvious that Satan was fighting it. God won the victory...so please continue to join me in praying for her husband and her as God is working in her heart as well.
The conversation I had with her was a reminder to me that when we pray expecting God to answer our prayer, we must also be willing to accept the fact that there may need to be some changes made in our own hearts and lives to see that prayer answered. Often we will pray for sister so-in-so to get her heart right or brother so-in-so the kick that bad habit, without realizing that we have sin in our lives that are affecting the allowance of that prayer to be answered.
In Psalm 66:18 David wrote; "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." If we have sin in our lives, our prayers are unable to be heard by God.
It is imperative that we confess and known of unknown sin to God, before we request anything from Him. I was taught during my college years that when we pray we should (Confess, Adore, Thank and then Request)
1)Prayers of Confession will cleanse our heart (I John 1:9)"If we confess our sin He is faithful and just toforgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
2)Prayers of Adoration confirm our love for Him, and these verses reminds us that it is the first commandment (Matthew 22:37-38) "Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment."
3)Prayers of Thanksgiving are our way of showing our gratitude for what God has done for us (Ephesians 5:20) "Giving thanks always, in all things unto God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
I have always felt that once I've done these three things I am then ready to make request of my father. (Ephesians 4:6) "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." Amen He said in all things!!!!
I find so much comfort in that verse because it reminds me that He loves us so much that He desires to hear us, not just when we need something big to happen, but even in the little things "every thing" Have a blessed day Ya'll!!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
AWANA Night!!!! Tonight we had 21 great Cubbies.
They are so enthusiastic and fun. But, if there's even a short lull in the night, look out, they get restless pretty quickly.
So, we try to keep the program exciting. There's always a great flannel graph story. Tonight it was all about how God created the animals. We told them last week to bring in their favorite stuffed animal.
We played several fun games directed at making animal sounds.
We had animal crackers and ice water (sounds a little like prison doesn't it--crackers and water). They loved it. As we served their snack, we tapped them on the shoulder and without talking, they had to make an animal sound to get their snack. The second game was a classic, pile all the animals in a great big pile, divide the kids into two teams and race to find their animal and bring it back to their leader, the only problem was that several of the kids left their animals at home and couldn't remember the animal we loaned them for the night, so they got someone Else's when they went to the pile. Well, you can imagine the rest!!!! They were making animal sounds alright.
What a rewarding program. Watching those little guys grow and learn about God's word. I love it!!!! I praise the Lord that He has chosen to let me be involved for almost 15 years now. Good night little animals, sleep tight.
They are so enthusiastic and fun. But, if there's even a short lull in the night, look out, they get restless pretty quickly.
So, we try to keep the program exciting. There's always a great flannel graph story. Tonight it was all about how God created the animals. We told them last week to bring in their favorite stuffed animal.
We played several fun games directed at making animal sounds.
We had animal crackers and ice water (sounds a little like prison doesn't it--crackers and water). They loved it. As we served their snack, we tapped them on the shoulder and without talking, they had to make an animal sound to get their snack. The second game was a classic, pile all the animals in a great big pile, divide the kids into two teams and race to find their animal and bring it back to their leader, the only problem was that several of the kids left their animals at home and couldn't remember the animal we loaned them for the night, so they got someone Else's when they went to the pile. Well, you can imagine the rest!!!! They were making animal sounds alright.
What a rewarding program. Watching those little guys grow and learn about God's word. I love it!!!! I praise the Lord that He has chosen to let me be involved for almost 15 years now. Good night little animals, sleep tight.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
In my Bible study this morning (the Beth Moore study) I had a precious reminder that I want to share with you. We are studying the freewill offerings.
We have already looked at the significance of gold, silver, and precious stones.
The most familiar passage, describing those three elements, is found in the passage of scripture located in I Corinthians 3:9-15 which describes the judgment of the works of Christians. Whether they were done in the flesh or in the spirit. They will either come through the fire of judgment as Gold, silver or precious stones (refined, but not destroyed) or they will be consumed by the fire
as (wood, hay and stubble). Some of the things we have done here on earth, much to our surprise will not be able to stand the test of fire. Because many times we think of ourselves much more highly than we should, some will have few crowns to lay at the feet of Jesus and few rewards for service to our Savior.
We must examine our hearts daily to make sure that the motivation for the offerings of sacrifice we bring to Jesus can stand the test. Only days before my mom went to be with Jesus, she said to my dad and me, "I hope Jesus won't be ashamed of me". That is something we should be asking ourselves daily...my Bible tells me in Mark 8:38 "Whosoever, therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels." Just as my mom, I do not want to stand before my Savior and be ashamed. Lord, please help me to speak of you freely and not be ashamed of your gospel, for it is the only way to salvation.
Continuing to look at the freewill offerings In Exodus 25:9 God commanded Moses to make the tabernacle "a copy and shadow of what is in heaven".
Included in the description in Exodus 25:3-4, were three colors of yarn appropriate for offerings. The colors mentioned are blue, purple and Scarlet.
It's interesting to research those three colors. They have very significant meanings throughout God's word.
The Blue- A glance upward reminds us that the blue sky is a direct connection to heaven. The color blue is also spoken of in Ezekiel 1:26 "And above the firmament (in heaven) that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone... " (also a beautiful blue color)
The Purple-A very significant color throughout the Bible, the most valued color among ancient cultures, it represented royalty, kingship, and elegance.
Both passages (Judges 8:26 and Mark 15:17-18) are describing the crucifixion of Christ and how purple raiment was used to Mock him, as the king.
And in Mark 15 17-18 the description is of a "rich man clothed in purple and fine linen" How heartbreaking it is to realize that the true King, the Savior of the world who deserved the purple raiment, a real crown instead of the crown of thornes they placed on His head, and all the majesty that was given to Him by his Father was mocked; while the rich man considered worthy by the world was rewarded and recognized as royalty when wearing it, even though he was unworthy.
The Scarlet-the color that readily denotes bloodshed, pain and sacrifice.
The Bible speaks in many places about the blood shed for us by Jesus.
But my favorite passage about scarlet is in Isaiah 1:18 "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."
Praise God for His wonderful provision for our sinful hearts, which can be redeemed by the blood of the one true King.
Blue (heaven), purple (royalty) and scarlet (blood, pain & sacrifice).
What a wonderful connection can be made between these three.
God requires only the best that can be offered.
God sent His son Jesus Christ from heaven, Jesus gave up His royalty and became a peasant, so that his blood could cleanse our sin stained hearts to make us heirs to His royalty.
He changed us from peasants to royalty through His freewill offering of Himself on the cross.....Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
I am a royal daughter of the King. What a blessed thought!
We have already looked at the significance of gold, silver, and precious stones.
The most familiar passage, describing those three elements, is found in the passage of scripture located in I Corinthians 3:9-15 which describes the judgment of the works of Christians. Whether they were done in the flesh or in the spirit. They will either come through the fire of judgment as Gold, silver or precious stones (refined, but not destroyed) or they will be consumed by the fire
as (wood, hay and stubble). Some of the things we have done here on earth, much to our surprise will not be able to stand the test of fire. Because many times we think of ourselves much more highly than we should, some will have few crowns to lay at the feet of Jesus and few rewards for service to our Savior.
We must examine our hearts daily to make sure that the motivation for the offerings of sacrifice we bring to Jesus can stand the test. Only days before my mom went to be with Jesus, she said to my dad and me, "I hope Jesus won't be ashamed of me". That is something we should be asking ourselves daily...my Bible tells me in Mark 8:38 "Whosoever, therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels." Just as my mom, I do not want to stand before my Savior and be ashamed. Lord, please help me to speak of you freely and not be ashamed of your gospel, for it is the only way to salvation.
Continuing to look at the freewill offerings In Exodus 25:9 God commanded Moses to make the tabernacle "a copy and shadow of what is in heaven".
Included in the description in Exodus 25:3-4, were three colors of yarn appropriate for offerings. The colors mentioned are blue, purple and Scarlet.
It's interesting to research those three colors. They have very significant meanings throughout God's word.
The Blue- A glance upward reminds us that the blue sky is a direct connection to heaven. The color blue is also spoken of in Ezekiel 1:26 "And above the firmament (in heaven) that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone... " (also a beautiful blue color)
The Purple-A very significant color throughout the Bible, the most valued color among ancient cultures, it represented royalty, kingship, and elegance.
Both passages (Judges 8:26 and Mark 15:17-18) are describing the crucifixion of Christ and how purple raiment was used to Mock him, as the king.
And in Mark 15 17-18 the description is of a "rich man clothed in purple and fine linen" How heartbreaking it is to realize that the true King, the Savior of the world who deserved the purple raiment, a real crown instead of the crown of thornes they placed on His head, and all the majesty that was given to Him by his Father was mocked; while the rich man considered worthy by the world was rewarded and recognized as royalty when wearing it, even though he was unworthy.
The Scarlet-the color that readily denotes bloodshed, pain and sacrifice.
The Bible speaks in many places about the blood shed for us by Jesus.
But my favorite passage about scarlet is in Isaiah 1:18 "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."
Praise God for His wonderful provision for our sinful hearts, which can be redeemed by the blood of the one true King.
Blue (heaven), purple (royalty) and scarlet (blood, pain & sacrifice).
What a wonderful connection can be made between these three.
God requires only the best that can be offered.
God sent His son Jesus Christ from heaven, Jesus gave up His royalty and became a peasant, so that his blood could cleanse our sin stained hearts to make us heirs to His royalty.
He changed us from peasants to royalty through His freewill offering of Himself on the cross.....Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
I am a royal daughter of the King. What a blessed thought!
Monday, October 5, 2009
Today, I was thinking about my childhood and how wonderful it was.
I have to give the credit to my parents for so many things. Ultimately, of course the glory goes to God. But, my parents are responsible for making important decisions that guided me and have stayed with me for my entire life.
Like raising us in the church and teaching us to work hard.
As I think of my parents I can easily see the important values and characteristics that each one instilled in me.
From my dad, I got my sense of humor, my love for God's word, my desire to be a disciplinarian for my children, (with love, and according to God's word) and the strength and stamina to work hard. My dad could make you laugh at his jokes even if they weren't really funny. He had a twisted sense of humor when it came to my mom, he loved to make a joke and then watch her roll her eyes and try not to laugh....even as adults it made us laugh all the more. I remember for so many years, my dad would get up at 5:00 am and leave for work but almost never neglected to bring us our favorite candy from the vending machine at the GM plant. And when it was time for discipline, he had a certain look that said; if you do that one more time, you know what you're going to get when you get home, not a word had to be spoken. There was a different look when you actually had already crossed the line and we knew exactly what was going to happen when he got where he could reach us. But, we never had a doubt that we were loved. I will always remember the way my dad would gather us kids together and share God's word with us. There were five of us, it was like having a small church congregation every night at devotion time.
He loved to tell us how important it was to live by God's commands, he gave me a deep love for the scripture and a desire to share it with others. Thank you dad, I love and miss you.
From my mom, I received a lot of the common sense I have. The ability to create almost anything out of things I have around the house. The ability to cook creatively ( a pinch of this and a dab of that) so don't ask me for a recipe; I seldom use them. I know the food is going to be good by the way it look and smells. I remember my oldest son, at about the age of three, looking up at me from the dinner table and saying "momma, you're a good cooker" I have my mom to thank for that. The funny thing is, he's the one now at 30 years of age, who loves to cook, and still says that I taught him how. Thanks Mom!!!
When my children were small, my mom used to beg me to bring them over so she could keep them, some times for Don and I to go to dinner or even over night. My mom was very wise when it came to marriage and family.
She encouraged me to take time away from the kids for just the two of us. When it came to us kids, I never remember my mom raising her voice, but I do remember a lot of praying that went on when she was worried about one of us. I also remember a lot of big hugs, kisses, and compliments flowed very freely from her lips. I believe that my mom was the most unselfish person I have ever known. She taught me to be that way as well. I am often accused of not being able to say no. But it is just a reminder that I am my mother's daughter; and proud of it.
Even after I left home for college, I remember one week calling my mom, excited about a formal event that was taking place on the campus on Friday night.
I had a date and was prepared to wear the same formal that I brought and wore the year before to a similar occasion. My mom wouldn't hear of it. She stayed up two nights in a row into the wee hours of the morning and convinced my dad that he needed to accompany her from Atlanta to Chattanooga on Thursday afternoon so that the new dress she had just made completed, would be there for me to wear on Friday night. Sure enough they fought the traffic and got it there on time. She always knew exactly what size I needed. It fit me perfectly without any fittings or alterations. But, of course, she had her sewing machine and all the necessary equipment just in case.
When my mom died in March of 2006 my dad and I were planning her funeral.
I was in charge of creating and printing the program for the funeral service.
He insisted that I make sure to include the phrase "she was a woman without guile" He always spoke so lovingly of her and remembered her as a woman who never pretended to be anything that she wasn't. He was so proud of her for that!!! And I, in turn am proud of him for loving, cherishing, and caring for her for the 57 years that they were married.
Three and a half years before she went to be with Jesus, my mom had a stroke.
As hard as she tried, she never regained the use of the right side of her body.
She was basically bed ridden 24 hours a day. He would not hear of hiring anyone to take care of her. He kept her so clean that she never had a bedsore, that is unheard of in people who are on their backs for that length of time.
I know for a fact that his loving care for her made those years bearable for her.
Thank you dad for the wonderful example of God's love that you displayed for all the world to see, not only in your service to your heavenly father, but also, in the way you sacrificed yourself for moms sake.
Dad told me many times how empty he felt without her. But he found true fulfillment in the joy of attending church again after mom's death. He only lasted ten months without her. One day we were walking to his car in the church parking lot. He turned to me, put his arm around me and said, "guess what sweetie, God has finally filled that empty spot in my heart." I'll never forget the look of perfect peace and contentment on his face. He knew that it was a special prayer that God had answered just for him. It was only a couple of months after that, when God called him home.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for these wonderful memories of my life. Thank you for the Godly parents you gave me and the privilege of growing up in a home where you were honored and glorified. I pray that some day my children and grandchildren will have the same kind of heritage to pass on to their generation.
I have to give the credit to my parents for so many things. Ultimately, of course the glory goes to God. But, my parents are responsible for making important decisions that guided me and have stayed with me for my entire life.
Like raising us in the church and teaching us to work hard.
As I think of my parents I can easily see the important values and characteristics that each one instilled in me.
From my dad, I got my sense of humor, my love for God's word, my desire to be a disciplinarian for my children, (with love, and according to God's word) and the strength and stamina to work hard. My dad could make you laugh at his jokes even if they weren't really funny. He had a twisted sense of humor when it came to my mom, he loved to make a joke and then watch her roll her eyes and try not to laugh....even as adults it made us laugh all the more. I remember for so many years, my dad would get up at 5:00 am and leave for work but almost never neglected to bring us our favorite candy from the vending machine at the GM plant. And when it was time for discipline, he had a certain look that said; if you do that one more time, you know what you're going to get when you get home, not a word had to be spoken. There was a different look when you actually had already crossed the line and we knew exactly what was going to happen when he got where he could reach us. But, we never had a doubt that we were loved. I will always remember the way my dad would gather us kids together and share God's word with us. There were five of us, it was like having a small church congregation every night at devotion time.
He loved to tell us how important it was to live by God's commands, he gave me a deep love for the scripture and a desire to share it with others. Thank you dad, I love and miss you.
From my mom, I received a lot of the common sense I have. The ability to create almost anything out of things I have around the house. The ability to cook creatively ( a pinch of this and a dab of that) so don't ask me for a recipe; I seldom use them. I know the food is going to be good by the way it look and smells. I remember my oldest son, at about the age of three, looking up at me from the dinner table and saying "momma, you're a good cooker" I have my mom to thank for that. The funny thing is, he's the one now at 30 years of age, who loves to cook, and still says that I taught him how. Thanks Mom!!!
When my children were small, my mom used to beg me to bring them over so she could keep them, some times for Don and I to go to dinner or even over night. My mom was very wise when it came to marriage and family.
She encouraged me to take time away from the kids for just the two of us. When it came to us kids, I never remember my mom raising her voice, but I do remember a lot of praying that went on when she was worried about one of us. I also remember a lot of big hugs, kisses, and compliments flowed very freely from her lips. I believe that my mom was the most unselfish person I have ever known. She taught me to be that way as well. I am often accused of not being able to say no. But it is just a reminder that I am my mother's daughter; and proud of it.
Even after I left home for college, I remember one week calling my mom, excited about a formal event that was taking place on the campus on Friday night.
I had a date and was prepared to wear the same formal that I brought and wore the year before to a similar occasion. My mom wouldn't hear of it. She stayed up two nights in a row into the wee hours of the morning and convinced my dad that he needed to accompany her from Atlanta to Chattanooga on Thursday afternoon so that the new dress she had just made completed, would be there for me to wear on Friday night. Sure enough they fought the traffic and got it there on time. She always knew exactly what size I needed. It fit me perfectly without any fittings or alterations. But, of course, she had her sewing machine and all the necessary equipment just in case.
When my mom died in March of 2006 my dad and I were planning her funeral.
I was in charge of creating and printing the program for the funeral service.
He insisted that I make sure to include the phrase "she was a woman without guile" He always spoke so lovingly of her and remembered her as a woman who never pretended to be anything that she wasn't. He was so proud of her for that!!! And I, in turn am proud of him for loving, cherishing, and caring for her for the 57 years that they were married.
Three and a half years before she went to be with Jesus, my mom had a stroke.
As hard as she tried, she never regained the use of the right side of her body.
She was basically bed ridden 24 hours a day. He would not hear of hiring anyone to take care of her. He kept her so clean that she never had a bedsore, that is unheard of in people who are on their backs for that length of time.
I know for a fact that his loving care for her made those years bearable for her.
Thank you dad for the wonderful example of God's love that you displayed for all the world to see, not only in your service to your heavenly father, but also, in the way you sacrificed yourself for moms sake.
Dad told me many times how empty he felt without her. But he found true fulfillment in the joy of attending church again after mom's death. He only lasted ten months without her. One day we were walking to his car in the church parking lot. He turned to me, put his arm around me and said, "guess what sweetie, God has finally filled that empty spot in my heart." I'll never forget the look of perfect peace and contentment on his face. He knew that it was a special prayer that God had answered just for him. It was only a couple of months after that, when God called him home.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for these wonderful memories of my life. Thank you for the Godly parents you gave me and the privilege of growing up in a home where you were honored and glorified. I pray that some day my children and grandchildren will have the same kind of heritage to pass on to their generation.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Today is Sunday and has been a very busy day as usual. But what a blessing it has been. Our pastor and his family are on vacation this week so our administrative pastor, Larry Miller preached the morning service. It was a great reminder for me to check my heart and see where I am spiritually.
The basic premise is that there were 5 categories of people described in Matthew 27:33-54 and that they still exist today. See if you find yourself in any of them.
I.The Gamblers: vs. 33-35-the gamblers are described as being close to the cross, but clueless as to what was really taking place "playing games at the foot of the cross".
II.The Grumblers: vs. 39-40-the grumblers were religiously wrong, they told Christ to save himself....not knowing that the scripture had prophesied that He would be exactly where He was. These people wanted a show in front of the cross. They wanted to see something spectacular happen; after all they had already witnessed the miracles of Christ. This would just be another show to them.
III.The Graceless: vs. 41-43-this group included the religious people of the day.
The scribes and pharisees were there mocking Him and criticizing Him, causing others to doubt His power. Even though they were the ones who penned the scriptures in the Old Testament that foretold His coming.
IV.The Guilty: vs.54-(Isaiah 53) both of these references speak of the contrast between Christ and the thieves. Christ ask the father to forgive those who were guilty of His blood. This was in strict contrast to others who were witnessed cursing and trying to plead their case while being punished for crimes they had actually committed and were being punished for. In contrast, Christ said not a word to defend Himself, but gave Himself willingly. The people watching were convicted by the contrast they witnessed. Oh, that we would be such a contrast from the world around us that the conviction of sin would be felt in the hearts of those watching us.
V.The Grievers-Luke 23:48-49-This category is divided into two groups.
A.Luke 23:48-the first group came, saw and left exactly the way they came.
B.Luke 23:49-the second group came and stayed never to be the same.
I want to be of the second group of grievers. They saw the love and mercy of Jesus and grieved over the pain, suffering Jesus had to endure. But they also grieved over their own sin, that cause Jesus to died in for their salvation.
May the love of Christ be the driving force that causes me to live my life in a way that others see the contrast. May they see the love of Christ lived out through my life.
Look at the words of this old Hymn, it explains the love of God in a way that I cannot.
Could we with ink the ocean fill and were the skies of parchment made.
Were every stalk on earth a quill and every man a scribe by trade.
To write the love of God above, would drain the ocean dry.
Nor could the scroll contain the whole, though stretched from sky to sky!
Oh love of God, how rich and pure! How measureless and strong.
It shall forever-more endure, the saints and angels song.
Isn't that beautiful. The earth cannot contain the height or depth of God's marvelous love for us. There isn't enough space in the sky to contain the volumes it would take to describe it. Be thankful today for that constant, unchanging love that He has for you.
The basic premise is that there were 5 categories of people described in Matthew 27:33-54 and that they still exist today. See if you find yourself in any of them.
I.The Gamblers: vs. 33-35-the gamblers are described as being close to the cross, but clueless as to what was really taking place "playing games at the foot of the cross".
II.The Grumblers: vs. 39-40-the grumblers were religiously wrong, they told Christ to save himself....not knowing that the scripture had prophesied that He would be exactly where He was. These people wanted a show in front of the cross. They wanted to see something spectacular happen; after all they had already witnessed the miracles of Christ. This would just be another show to them.
III.The Graceless: vs. 41-43-this group included the religious people of the day.
The scribes and pharisees were there mocking Him and criticizing Him, causing others to doubt His power. Even though they were the ones who penned the scriptures in the Old Testament that foretold His coming.
IV.The Guilty: vs.54-(Isaiah 53) both of these references speak of the contrast between Christ and the thieves. Christ ask the father to forgive those who were guilty of His blood. This was in strict contrast to others who were witnessed cursing and trying to plead their case while being punished for crimes they had actually committed and were being punished for. In contrast, Christ said not a word to defend Himself, but gave Himself willingly. The people watching were convicted by the contrast they witnessed. Oh, that we would be such a contrast from the world around us that the conviction of sin would be felt in the hearts of those watching us.
V.The Grievers-Luke 23:48-49-This category is divided into two groups.
A.Luke 23:48-the first group came, saw and left exactly the way they came.
B.Luke 23:49-the second group came and stayed never to be the same.
I want to be of the second group of grievers. They saw the love and mercy of Jesus and grieved over the pain, suffering Jesus had to endure. But they also grieved over their own sin, that cause Jesus to died in for their salvation.
May the love of Christ be the driving force that causes me to live my life in a way that others see the contrast. May they see the love of Christ lived out through my life.
Look at the words of this old Hymn, it explains the love of God in a way that I cannot.
Could we with ink the ocean fill and were the skies of parchment made.
Were every stalk on earth a quill and every man a scribe by trade.
To write the love of God above, would drain the ocean dry.
Nor could the scroll contain the whole, though stretched from sky to sky!
Oh love of God, how rich and pure! How measureless and strong.
It shall forever-more endure, the saints and angels song.
Isn't that beautiful. The earth cannot contain the height or depth of God's marvelous love for us. There isn't enough space in the sky to contain the volumes it would take to describe it. Be thankful today for that constant, unchanging love that He has for you.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
It's Saturday and I am so excited to be meeting my Aunt Dottie, cousin Susan, and daughter-in-law Brooke to paint pottery at a place called "All Fired Up".
We are meeting for brunch at "Panera" first and then...let the fun begin!!!
Well, we got to Panera and had a bite to eat and then went next door to the pottery place. I scanned the shelves of a couple hundred items to choose from
and decided that I would be making a baby gift for one of my customers.
I chose a cute piggy bank, Susan painted an "H" a gift for her niece, and Brooke chose a dish for her mother's birthday.
We spent one and a half hours talking and painting. What a great time we had.
As we were sitting there the thought occurred to me. That pottery reminded me of a passage of scripture in Isaiah 64:8; where the writer says "But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand. "The work of His hand!"
I looked at all that pure white pottery, it was so clean and without spot.
Just as we are at the moment of our salvation. Our hearts are free of sin, stain, blemishes and pure white covered by the blood of Jesus. Untarnished by the sin of this world. But, as we go through our Christian lives, and sin creeps in, they become stained again, until we come before our Savior and repent and are restored.
As we began to put strokes of paint on the white pottery, I couldn't help but compare those to our pure white hearts. Each stroke representing something; whether good or evil that has become a part of our heart. Some of the strokes are allowed to be placed on our hearts by the Lord, others we allow to be painted on us by the world or through disobedience to the commands of our Father. When a mistake was made on the pottery, a lot of effort had to be made to repair it. The paint had to be cleaned of all the way down to the white piece of pottery and repainted properly. So many times in my heart I had to repent and ask the Lord to clean that spot on my heart down to the pure whiteness that I had at salvation and then restore it to it's original beauty.
Every decision we make along the road of our Christian lives puts a few more strokes on us. We can become a thing of beauty that points others to our potter, the one who made us. Or, if we do not choose carefully and according to God's commands, we will create of ourselves a vessel that brings dishonor to our Lord. I don't know about you, but I want my vessel to be a thing of beauty that points to my Savior.
As we sat there and looked at the finished pottery, we were all pleased. Today, we were the potters, the artist and the creators of something beautiful. I pray that my life and yours is a vessel that we have allowed our Savior the Lord, Jesus Christ to form, fashion, mold and paint strokes of beauty that point others to Him. A vessel that can be used for His honor and glory.
We are meeting for brunch at "Panera" first and then...let the fun begin!!!
Well, we got to Panera and had a bite to eat and then went next door to the pottery place. I scanned the shelves of a couple hundred items to choose from
and decided that I would be making a baby gift for one of my customers.
I chose a cute piggy bank, Susan painted an "H" a gift for her niece, and Brooke chose a dish for her mother's birthday.
We spent one and a half hours talking and painting. What a great time we had.
As we were sitting there the thought occurred to me. That pottery reminded me of a passage of scripture in Isaiah 64:8; where the writer says "But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand. "The work of His hand!"
I looked at all that pure white pottery, it was so clean and without spot.
Just as we are at the moment of our salvation. Our hearts are free of sin, stain, blemishes and pure white covered by the blood of Jesus. Untarnished by the sin of this world. But, as we go through our Christian lives, and sin creeps in, they become stained again, until we come before our Savior and repent and are restored.
As we began to put strokes of paint on the white pottery, I couldn't help but compare those to our pure white hearts. Each stroke representing something; whether good or evil that has become a part of our heart. Some of the strokes are allowed to be placed on our hearts by the Lord, others we allow to be painted on us by the world or through disobedience to the commands of our Father. When a mistake was made on the pottery, a lot of effort had to be made to repair it. The paint had to be cleaned of all the way down to the white piece of pottery and repainted properly. So many times in my heart I had to repent and ask the Lord to clean that spot on my heart down to the pure whiteness that I had at salvation and then restore it to it's original beauty.
Every decision we make along the road of our Christian lives puts a few more strokes on us. We can become a thing of beauty that points others to our potter, the one who made us. Or, if we do not choose carefully and according to God's commands, we will create of ourselves a vessel that brings dishonor to our Lord. I don't know about you, but I want my vessel to be a thing of beauty that points to my Savior.
As we sat there and looked at the finished pottery, we were all pleased. Today, we were the potters, the artist and the creators of something beautiful. I pray that my life and yours is a vessel that we have allowed our Savior the Lord, Jesus Christ to form, fashion, mold and paint strokes of beauty that point others to Him. A vessel that can be used for His honor and glory.
Friday, October 2, 2009
It's October 2nd, barely. It's almost 4:00 a.m. and I can't sleep, so here I am.
I had to set up a GMail account in order to start the blog a few days ago.
I keep checking that email address and I've been so sad that I haven't gotten any mail at that address, then, it dawned on me that no one knows that address. I never imported the contacts form my AT&T account. So, if you're reading this... email me. I'm lonely. Oh, first you have to call me to get the email address!! Ha! Ha!
Life is funny, if you choose to see the humor in it....I like it that way.
Well, just before I went to bed last night, I spoke with someone close to me and found out that he has had a disappointment in his life recently. I went to sleep thinking about it and praying for him. I woke up at 3:30 a.m. still thinking about it. I guess that's why I'm blogging at 4:00 a.m.
Anyway, I was reminded that there have been two ways, in my experience with people, that they usually handle disappointment or as we tend to call them, tragedies in our lives.
First you have to define tragedy!! It could be anything from a broken nail, to an illness, or in the extreme case a death and hundreds of things in between.
Each person's idea of what a real tragedy is, depends on their mindset and maturity level. I know this person very well, he has matured a lot in the last couple of years and has been through several serious situations in his relatively young life. So, I believe in my heart that he will be able to handle this through God's grace.
There are always choices to be made. Our mindset; where we turn when a conflict arises, and our maturity; whether we act our age and decide to think through our response to the present situation will determine it's outcome.
It's pretty simple to me. In my experience, as a christian. I have learned that I can handle these situations in basically two ways.
#1-I can get angry, sometimes at God, other times at myself. The result of making either of these choices is a setback in my life. I can ask; "God, why did you let this happen? " or say "I didn't deserve this!" The reality of both of those thoughts is that God may have let it happen because I need to learn something and He knows that this is the best way to get through to me.
And as far as deserving it!!!! Wow, if I got what I really deserve.....I wouldn't be happy with that either, because the Bible tells me that I deserve Hell. But that's not the end of the story, praise God, He made a way through His son, Jesus Christ. The death, burial, and resurrection of Christ is the way of Salvation,
and the only way that I can secure Heaven; instead of what I really deserve.
Christ has given me everything. It all belongs to Him, even my very life...so how can I get mad at Him for allowing His plan to be fulfilled in my life.
In Romans 12:1, God's word tells me this; "I beseech (ask or even beg) you therefore, brethren (believers) by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice (in contrast to the dead animal sacrifices that had been made under the law) holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable (intelligent, rational, and deliberate) service. If I read this correctly, God is saying that the very least I can do, is give my life fully to him not out of obligation, but out of a true heart of gratitude for what Jesus did for me. hallelujah!!!!
This leads me to the second choice I could make.
#2-I can look at what God has done for me and with a grateful heart, say
Amen, Lord, your will be done in my life. After all, God also tells me in Isaiah chapter 40 the following things:
Verse 28-"Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding."
It is beyond the understanding of our feeble minds to comprehend His power and majesty or even the plan He has for us.
Verse 29-"He giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might he increaseth strength."
When we are at our weakest, He increases our strength, it's a promise, He wrote it in His word for us to see!
Verse 30-"Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fail:"
Verse 31-"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint."
What a wonderful promise. I think the key for me here is the little phrase "they that wait upon the Lord" because the waiting is the hard part. But, during those times of fainting, weariness, and failure; He says to wait and let Him renew our strength.
My prayer today, for the young man in my life who is dealing with a broken heart, the young woman who I spoke with recently who is struggling with the salvation of her husband, the young woman I am in the Bible study with; who is seeking to know God's plan, and my very close friend who is asking for God to heal her mind and body is this:
God, let me see today that you love me, that you know my struggles, you feel my pain, and you see my weakness. Help me to wait!!!
Help me to be still and know that you have made a promise to renew my strength, to give me wings to soar, to strengthen my legs when I need to run, and to guide my footsteps when I need to walk. Please, dear Lord, as I cling to the promise you have made, reveal yourself to me, that I might know you are God and follow your plan for my life. Amen
God bless you, as you serve Him in spirit and in truth!!
I had to set up a GMail account in order to start the blog a few days ago.
I keep checking that email address and I've been so sad that I haven't gotten any mail at that address, then, it dawned on me that no one knows that address. I never imported the contacts form my AT&T account. So, if you're reading this... email me. I'm lonely. Oh, first you have to call me to get the email address!! Ha! Ha!
Life is funny, if you choose to see the humor in it....I like it that way.
Well, just before I went to bed last night, I spoke with someone close to me and found out that he has had a disappointment in his life recently. I went to sleep thinking about it and praying for him. I woke up at 3:30 a.m. still thinking about it. I guess that's why I'm blogging at 4:00 a.m.
Anyway, I was reminded that there have been two ways, in my experience with people, that they usually handle disappointment or as we tend to call them, tragedies in our lives.
First you have to define tragedy!! It could be anything from a broken nail, to an illness, or in the extreme case a death and hundreds of things in between.
Each person's idea of what a real tragedy is, depends on their mindset and maturity level. I know this person very well, he has matured a lot in the last couple of years and has been through several serious situations in his relatively young life. So, I believe in my heart that he will be able to handle this through God's grace.
There are always choices to be made. Our mindset; where we turn when a conflict arises, and our maturity; whether we act our age and decide to think through our response to the present situation will determine it's outcome.
It's pretty simple to me. In my experience, as a christian. I have learned that I can handle these situations in basically two ways.
#1-I can get angry, sometimes at God, other times at myself. The result of making either of these choices is a setback in my life. I can ask; "God, why did you let this happen? " or say "I didn't deserve this!" The reality of both of those thoughts is that God may have let it happen because I need to learn something and He knows that this is the best way to get through to me.
And as far as deserving it!!!! Wow, if I got what I really deserve.....I wouldn't be happy with that either, because the Bible tells me that I deserve Hell. But that's not the end of the story, praise God, He made a way through His son, Jesus Christ. The death, burial, and resurrection of Christ is the way of Salvation,
and the only way that I can secure Heaven; instead of what I really deserve.
Christ has given me everything. It all belongs to Him, even my very life...so how can I get mad at Him for allowing His plan to be fulfilled in my life.
In Romans 12:1, God's word tells me this; "I beseech (ask or even beg) you therefore, brethren (believers) by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice (in contrast to the dead animal sacrifices that had been made under the law) holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable (intelligent, rational, and deliberate) service. If I read this correctly, God is saying that the very least I can do, is give my life fully to him not out of obligation, but out of a true heart of gratitude for what Jesus did for me. hallelujah!!!!
This leads me to the second choice I could make.
#2-I can look at what God has done for me and with a grateful heart, say
Amen, Lord, your will be done in my life. After all, God also tells me in Isaiah chapter 40 the following things:
Verse 28-"Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding."
It is beyond the understanding of our feeble minds to comprehend His power and majesty or even the plan He has for us.
Verse 29-"He giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might he increaseth strength."
When we are at our weakest, He increases our strength, it's a promise, He wrote it in His word for us to see!
Verse 30-"Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fail:"
Verse 31-"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint."
What a wonderful promise. I think the key for me here is the little phrase "they that wait upon the Lord" because the waiting is the hard part. But, during those times of fainting, weariness, and failure; He says to wait and let Him renew our strength.
My prayer today, for the young man in my life who is dealing with a broken heart, the young woman who I spoke with recently who is struggling with the salvation of her husband, the young woman I am in the Bible study with; who is seeking to know God's plan, and my very close friend who is asking for God to heal her mind and body is this:
God, let me see today that you love me, that you know my struggles, you feel my pain, and you see my weakness. Help me to wait!!!
Help me to be still and know that you have made a promise to renew my strength, to give me wings to soar, to strengthen my legs when I need to run, and to guide my footsteps when I need to walk. Please, dear Lord, as I cling to the promise you have made, reveal yourself to me, that I might know you are God and follow your plan for my life. Amen
God bless you, as you serve Him in spirit and in truth!!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Today is October 1st. It's been a crisp fall day. God is so wonderful to give us such beautiful seasons. I am grateful that the hot weather is gone.
And with the coolness of fall comes a new spark of energy for me. I love it!!
As I was finishing up my work today, I was thinking about how wonderful God has been to me in blessing my business. I think I stated before that I have a house cleaning business. It's four years old now and God has been good.
I have really great customers. I am thankful for them and the trust they put in me to be in their homes. I remember when I first started the business and it was only me and my brother Darrell . And, no I do not have another brother Darrell....for those of you that had that thought pop into your heads because of the TV show that used to be on!!!
We started with the house next door to him, which was a one time job.
And Gail, that lady recommended us to one of her friends who sells real estate.
We had that first house for 4 months before she recommended us to someone else. Then they recommended us to someone else and so on.
I remember promising God that if He would bless my business, I would give Him all the glory for it; and I can honestly say that I always have. And today, this is another opportunity to do that.
After all He also gives me the strength and energy to do the work each day.
I have also learned that He is with me in the tough times. When the economy began to go south, I lost several of my clients, but slowly, some of those have come back and we have also added some new clients. It always seems that when someone says good-bye (moving, retiring, losing jobs etc.) God is so faithful to send me someone to take their place. What a blessing and an awesome way for God to strengthen my faith. I have also had a wonderful opportunity to share my faith with my clients...it has been a very positive experience for me.
So, the next time you find yourself in a bind. Don't worry God is still there, He promised never to leave you or forsake you, and He has never broken a promise yet. Ask Him for to provide what you need, trust Him to provide it, and sit back and watch miraculous things happen.
But, don't neglect to give Him the glory for what is accomplished!!!
Go and serve Him.....see you tomorrow.
And with the coolness of fall comes a new spark of energy for me. I love it!!
As I was finishing up my work today, I was thinking about how wonderful God has been to me in blessing my business. I think I stated before that I have a house cleaning business. It's four years old now and God has been good.
I have really great customers. I am thankful for them and the trust they put in me to be in their homes. I remember when I first started the business and it was only me and my brother Darrell . And, no I do not have another brother Darrell....for those of you that had that thought pop into your heads because of the TV show that used to be on!!!
We started with the house next door to him, which was a one time job.
And Gail, that lady recommended us to one of her friends who sells real estate.
We had that first house for 4 months before she recommended us to someone else. Then they recommended us to someone else and so on.
I remember promising God that if He would bless my business, I would give Him all the glory for it; and I can honestly say that I always have. And today, this is another opportunity to do that.
After all He also gives me the strength and energy to do the work each day.
I have also learned that He is with me in the tough times. When the economy began to go south, I lost several of my clients, but slowly, some of those have come back and we have also added some new clients. It always seems that when someone says good-bye (moving, retiring, losing jobs etc.) God is so faithful to send me someone to take their place. What a blessing and an awesome way for God to strengthen my faith. I have also had a wonderful opportunity to share my faith with my clients...it has been a very positive experience for me.
So, the next time you find yourself in a bind. Don't worry God is still there, He promised never to leave you or forsake you, and He has never broken a promise yet. Ask Him for to provide what you need, trust Him to provide it, and sit back and watch miraculous things happen.
But, don't neglect to give Him the glory for what is accomplished!!!
Go and serve Him.....see you tomorrow.
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