How often have you come into your “prayer closet” to pray but you feel empty, emotionless, quiet? I’ve feel this way many times, more times than not. Those times of exuberance and joy or of weeping before the Lord pouring out my heart to Him, feeling his presence seem to be to far and few between. I don’t like the feeling of fruitlessness like my prayers are bouncing off the ceiling, or my words are dribbling off my chin, my time in prayer seems so useless. Recently I picked up Dana Candler’s book Deep unto Deep – The Journey of His Embrace searching for answers/comfort. I was encouraged to read that this “prayer warrior” has the same experiences I have in prayer. She wrote “It is enough to greatly discourage and even keep us from the whole pursuit of Him. . . . Later she points out that it is in our weakness that His strength is made perfect (2 Cor. 12:9). . . . He beckons us to continually lift our weak voice and our weak gaze in prayer and communion with Him.” She explains that when we come to Him in these barren times His heart is touched by our faithfulness, “that what we call barren, He often calls fruitful; what we call wasteful He often calls well spent. That God is for me and that my prayer, though weak, is wisdom. These are the days He holds precious.” What an encouraging thought "these day He holds precious". I will look at my “barren” days differently, knowing He sees my weakness but my prayers still matter and I will not give up. Dana shares this prayer she prayed at the end of a “fruitless” day.
“Write it down in our book, O God. Though it was so empty and so dry, may it count in an eternal relevance I do not yet comprehend. Write it down so that one day You might read to me of it preciousness. Remember this day, though I know it will blend into so many days just like it in my own memory. Count it as valuable to the heart of God. And O God give me one grace I pray. Give me the grace to give myself in prayer once again tomorrow. To believe that it matters. To put my heart before you even though I feel so unproductive and unfruitful. Give me the grace to spend tomorrow once more before You in love. For I can think of no more noble way to spend a day with You, whether I feel Your nearness or not. Oh help me in the times of fainting. Give me the grace for one more day.”
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
“The God Who Sees Me” – EL Roi (El raw-EE)
I’m sure you can think of times when God saved you from danger, sickness, or whatever. One of my remembrances happened Labor Day Weekend, 1966. My husband John and I had received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit early that year; Labor Day Weekend we were on our way from Ohio to Tulsa Oklahoma, with three children ages 6,5, 2 and a dog, so John could attend seminary at Oral Roberts University. At that time the only thing we could rent was a 4-wheel trailer (looked like a hay wagon) to put our belongings in, pulling it with our 1960 Chevy. Having sold all our household goods, except the living room furniture and kitchen stove, we piled the wagon full with the furniture, our children’s tricycles, hobby horse and other toys, suitcases, etc and covered it with a tarp. We looked like people I saw in the movie “Grapes of Wrath” heading west. Early Saturday morning as we crossed the Mississippi River into St. Louis someone pulled along side us and motioned that we had trouble with a wagon wheel. Back then everything closed on Saturdays and Sundays as well as the Monday holiday. We were scheduled to arrive at Centenary Methodist Church Sunday morning so John could be introduced as the new Youth Pastor. We pulled into a little gas station not having had breakfast yet, not knowing how long it would be before we could find a place to eat. The prospects of getting the wheel fixed or a new wagon was very dismal. This presented a lot of dilemmas for us. BUT the “God Who Sees Us” was there. First of all, He saved us from who knows what kind of disaster with the bad wheel then He provided the solution of fixing the wheel and there was a little grocery store around the corner where we were able to buy some food. We arrived at the church Sunday morning on time!! (Side note: the living room furniture and kitchen stove that we couldn’t sell were the only pieces the church was unable to find to furnish the house we were to live in.)
“An Egyptian slave, Hagar encountered God in the desert and addressed him as El Roi, “the God who sees me.” Notable, this is the only occurrence of El Roi in the Bible. Hagar’s God is the One who numbers the hairs on our heads and who knows our circumstances, past, present and future. When you pray to El Roi, you are praying to the one who knows everything about you. (Gen. 16:13-14)” Excerpt from Praying the Names of God by Ann Spangler.
Praise God: Because He faithfully hears ALL your prayers.
Offer Thanks: For His watchful care, timely help, and all the ways He has protected you.
Confess: The temptation to feel God has abandoned you even though He’s been faithful in
the past.
Ask God: To make you aware of His presence and that He is watching over you.
“Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord our maker, for he is our God. We are the people He watches over, the sheep under His care.” (Psalm 95:6-7 NLT)
“An Egyptian slave, Hagar encountered God in the desert and addressed him as El Roi, “the God who sees me.” Notable, this is the only occurrence of El Roi in the Bible. Hagar’s God is the One who numbers the hairs on our heads and who knows our circumstances, past, present and future. When you pray to El Roi, you are praying to the one who knows everything about you. (Gen. 16:13-14)” Excerpt from Praying the Names of God by Ann Spangler.
Praise God: Because He faithfully hears ALL your prayers.
Offer Thanks: For His watchful care, timely help, and all the ways He has protected you.
Confess: The temptation to feel God has abandoned you even though He’s been faithful in
the past.
Ask God: To make you aware of His presence and that He is watching over you.
“Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord our maker, for he is our God. We are the people He watches over, the sheep under His care.” (Psalm 95:6-7 NLT)
Saturday, May 24, 2008
God's Names - Part I
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: God, Mighty Creator (Elohim)
Many years ago I became aware that in Hebrew there are many names, which describe who God is as well as His character. I would use what few words I knew in my prayer time with the Lord. Recently I acquired a book that lists 26 of those names and their meanings. Elohim (e-lo-HEEM) is the Hebrew word for God that appears in the very first sentence of the Bible (32 times in the first chapter). One morning as dawn began to break I looked out the window of my “prayer room” and began thanking the Lord for His beautiful creation, the trees, grass, flowers, the mountains – then I started thinking of other things He created, some strange things, such as the octopus, platypus, and penguins to name a few (which brought a smile to my face). But! As I was thinking of them I became awe-struck by the GREAT VASTINESS of His creativity – it is so UNLIMITED!! And then He created us – in His image – and gave us rule over all that He created. (Could I trust someone else enough to rule over something that I “created”?)
Then God said, “Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. And God blessed them and God said to them “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it and rule over the fish of the sea, and the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth”. (Gen 1:26-28 NAS)
Reflect on Genesis 1:26-28; 28:10-22; 35:1-8; Psalm. 102: Praise Him (Elohim) for His power in creating the heavens and the earth out of absolutely nothing. Praise Him for continuing to sustain it through His creative power. Praise Him for His unchanging nature – no matter what happens to us or to the world around us, God remains the same.
Give thanks: That God (Elohim) not only created you but made you in His own image. Thank Him for the way He has blessed you with the good things of the earth. Give thanks that He is perfect – nothing can be added or subtracted from Him to improve His nature.
Confess: Any tendency to forget that every human life, including your own (and the unborn), is sacred. Confess any tendency to take God’s earthly blessings for granted and any tendency to place God on your own level, as though He is subject to the same laws and limitations of creation as you are.
Ask God (Elohim): To renew your sense of wonder and gratitude for the things He has made. Ask Him to increase your desire to bless others with the gifts He has given you. Ask Him to help you perceive His greatness more fully so that you will not project your own feelings and judgments on Him. (Reference/excerpts from Praying the Names of God by Ann Spangler)
Many years ago I became aware that in Hebrew there are many names, which describe who God is as well as His character. I would use what few words I knew in my prayer time with the Lord. Recently I acquired a book that lists 26 of those names and their meanings. Elohim (e-lo-HEEM) is the Hebrew word for God that appears in the very first sentence of the Bible (32 times in the first chapter). One morning as dawn began to break I looked out the window of my “prayer room” and began thanking the Lord for His beautiful creation, the trees, grass, flowers, the mountains – then I started thinking of other things He created, some strange things, such as the octopus, platypus, and penguins to name a few (which brought a smile to my face). But! As I was thinking of them I became awe-struck by the GREAT VASTINESS of His creativity – it is so UNLIMITED!! And then He created us – in His image – and gave us rule over all that He created. (Could I trust someone else enough to rule over something that I “created”?)
Then God said, “Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. And God blessed them and God said to them “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it and rule over the fish of the sea, and the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth”. (Gen 1:26-28 NAS)
Reflect on Genesis 1:26-28; 28:10-22; 35:1-8; Psalm. 102: Praise Him (Elohim) for His power in creating the heavens and the earth out of absolutely nothing. Praise Him for continuing to sustain it through His creative power. Praise Him for His unchanging nature – no matter what happens to us or to the world around us, God remains the same.
Give thanks: That God (Elohim) not only created you but made you in His own image. Thank Him for the way He has blessed you with the good things of the earth. Give thanks that He is perfect – nothing can be added or subtracted from Him to improve His nature.
Confess: Any tendency to forget that every human life, including your own (and the unborn), is sacred. Confess any tendency to take God’s earthly blessings for granted and any tendency to place God on your own level, as though He is subject to the same laws and limitations of creation as you are.
Ask God (Elohim): To renew your sense of wonder and gratitude for the things He has made. Ask Him to increase your desire to bless others with the gifts He has given you. Ask Him to help you perceive His greatness more fully so that you will not project your own feelings and judgments on Him. (Reference/excerpts from Praying the Names of God by Ann Spangler)
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Visit with the Fishers
Donna and Frank (Fisher) arrived earlier than I thought they would Monday afternoon. Thank goodness I put my stew together early in the morning; it is an old recipe that I pulled out which cooks at low heat for 4 hours. We also had corn muffins, broccoli casserole - peach pie ala mode for dessert. Peter-John, Julie and Asa got back from their vacation in Florida and ate dinner with us too.
Pete and Julie shared highlights of their trip, Asa playing Aunt Rachel's keyboard and singing - Sunrise Service on the Beach Easter Morning; at 7 pm we watched Ohio State win in the NIT Monday night. Tuesday morning fixed pancakes for breakfast then pasta salad for lunch. Later in the afternoon I had a meeting at church so we went out for dinner afterward at a nice restaurant on the Clinch River "as Mother's guests". Pete was working Wednesday so I took them to the fire station for a "tour" :o); went to late lunch at Cracker Barrel compliments of the Fishers. Watched the Buckeyes beat University of Dayton (Ohio) in the evening, now they will meet Old Miss next week. They left early Thursday morning, we had a nice relaxed visit. (Donna is the youngest of Aunt Genny's six children; Aunt Genny [Mary Geneiveve] was mother's oldest sister.)
Pete and Julie shared highlights of their trip, Asa playing Aunt Rachel's keyboard and singing - Sunrise Service on the Beach Easter Morning; at 7 pm we watched Ohio State win in the NIT Monday night. Tuesday morning fixed pancakes for breakfast then pasta salad for lunch. Later in the afternoon I had a meeting at church so we went out for dinner afterward at a nice restaurant on the Clinch River "as Mother's guests". Pete was working Wednesday so I took them to the fire station for a "tour" :o); went to late lunch at Cracker Barrel compliments of the Fishers. Watched the Buckeyes beat University of Dayton (Ohio) in the evening, now they will meet Old Miss next week. They left early Thursday morning, we had a nice relaxed visit. (Donna is the youngest of Aunt Genny's six children; Aunt Genny [Mary Geneiveve] was mother's oldest sister.)
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Just trying to Journal
Today is Resurrection Sunday. We had a wonderful worship service of beautiful songs and interpretative dancing; One point in the message was the fact that we do not celebrate an empty tomb but we celebrate the RESURRECTION of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Twelve people responded to the altar call at the end of the service.
The day was partly cloudy and a little on the cool side but very enjoyable. The Daffodils and a few other spring flowers are blooming as well as the beautiful Bradford Pear Trees with their snow-white blossoms. They help to express the realization of the new life we have in Christ Jesus.
Mother didn't to go to church because she was unable to sleep at all Saturday night. We had been invited to someone's home for dinner after church and mother insisted that I go without her; of course they were kind enough to send home a plate of the dinner for her. I bought a CD of today's message so she wouldn't miss out entirely, we listened to it this evening.
Tomorrow my cousin Donna and her husband Frank are coming down from Lancaster Ohio to visit for a couple of days. I'm going to fix Beef Stew and a Broccoli Casserole, Corn Muffins or maybe home made rolls, and Peach Pie w/ice cream for dinner.
Peter-John, Julie, and Asa will be driving home for Florida. They visited Julie's grandmother and her brother and sister-in-law in the Flagler Beach area, friends in Orlando and then down to Palm Bay to spend Easter Sunday with Tony and Rachel.
This writing may be a little corny but hopefully I'll get better at this as I continue to write. I hope to get back to writing about my life growing up at some point too.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. I Peter 1:3
The day was partly cloudy and a little on the cool side but very enjoyable. The Daffodils and a few other spring flowers are blooming as well as the beautiful Bradford Pear Trees with their snow-white blossoms. They help to express the realization of the new life we have in Christ Jesus.
Mother didn't to go to church because she was unable to sleep at all Saturday night. We had been invited to someone's home for dinner after church and mother insisted that I go without her; of course they were kind enough to send home a plate of the dinner for her. I bought a CD of today's message so she wouldn't miss out entirely, we listened to it this evening.
Tomorrow my cousin Donna and her husband Frank are coming down from Lancaster Ohio to visit for a couple of days. I'm going to fix Beef Stew and a Broccoli Casserole, Corn Muffins or maybe home made rolls, and Peach Pie w/ice cream for dinner.
Peter-John, Julie, and Asa will be driving home for Florida. They visited Julie's grandmother and her brother and sister-in-law in the Flagler Beach area, friends in Orlando and then down to Palm Bay to spend Easter Sunday with Tony and Rachel.
This writing may be a little corny but hopefully I'll get better at this as I continue to write. I hope to get back to writing about my life growing up at some point too.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. I Peter 1:3
Saturday, October 20, 2007
10,20,30 Years Past
My daughter Rachel tagged me so here goes - hope "senior moment" don't kick in too much :o)
1997 - John and I were living in Fort Myers, he was working as an architect and I was one of several secretaries at the church we attended, First Assembly of God. The owner of another architectural firm hired John for much less than he was making for the other firm with promises that John would receive BIG bonuses periodically during the year. Those promises were not fulfilled so while visiting my mother in Tallahassee John went to the Department of Health to meet with officials over the design and construction of medical clinics, he was the architect on a medical clinic in our area. While visiting with these men he found out that there was an opening for an architect. He filled out an application and started working for the department in October. As a result we moved to Tallahassee, which was our 2nd time to live in this wonderful city. John's responsibility as an architect was overseeing the design and construction of new or remodeling old health clinics throughout the state. I teased him and said now he can jerk people's chains instead of getting his chain jerked!! hee hee hee I was hired by the Department of Insurance as a secretary in the bureau of Agent and Agency Licensing and later worked for the Bureau of Fire and Arson Investigations as an Administrative Assistant, which I really loved. At the insistence of my mother we moved in with her for a year which turned into 7. In 2004 we bought a house across the street from her house, the 2nd home we had ever owned. We renewed some old friendships at our former church but in 2001 we joined another church where John became an elder and active on the Missions Committee until his passing June 3 2005.
20 Years ago - 1987 - NOW I have really to start thinking. . . . Danny and Joel were living out on their own in Tallahassee, Rachel was living in Palm Bay so that left John and I, and Peter-John and Rebekah still at home. John was working for an architectural firm, Clemmons & Rutherford and I was working in the House of Representative as a secretary. We had built our first own home in 1984 and enjoying it very much. Old friends in Indiana started talking to us about moving there so John could help build a small Bible College so in September of 1988 we sold our home and moved to Indiana. We moved into an 80 year old Sears and Roebuck Fabricated Farm House heated by a wood burning stove. There were "3" bedrooms upstairs none of which was very big but one was really small. We designated it to be Peter-John's room - he said "that's a closet!!" We were living on the church property which was 52 acres partly planted in corn and the property was bordered by state forest. We enjoyed living in the country and was some of the happiest years of my life but ended in a great heart break. I'm happy to say though I still have friends from that community.
NOW 30 YEARS AGO, oh my, memory don't fail me now 1977!!.
Background Information - in November 1974 we had moved from Lexington KY to Miami, actually Naranja, FL to be part of a church ministry. Now that was a real cultural shock - Christmas lights on Palm Trees???? Our pastor moved to Tallahassee to pasor a church there so in July 1976 we moved there too.
Now to 1977 - we had all 5 kids in a Christian school so I had to go to work for the first time in 14 years. I was excited and scared at the same time. I was secretary to Eloise Harbeson, Director of the Tallahassee Community College Library. We rented a house at 801 Laurel Street (thanks Beka for remembering the address). I don't know if this happened exactly in 1977 but Rachel and Danny worked at a McDonalds not far from our house. By the way this is back in the day when they were timed and had to get your meal to you QUICKLY!! Any way, they were walking home one night from work and as they passed a fenced in yard a dog started barking and Danny started running saying " FEET DON'T FAIL ME NOW!!" He says he really wasn't afraid though. John was an elder at the church and working for an architectural firm called Barrett, Daffin and Figg. I think this was the same year that a friend from Naranja, Al Donaldson came up and stayed with us for a few months while he got a mechanic business going and before moving his family up. We used to go to Baskin Robbins for an ice cream treat and one of my favorite flavors was Pralenes and Cream. Al liked it too so he bought half of one of those big containers and brought it home for us to enjoy. I believe this was the same year that Danny and Rachel were the first "graduates" from Covenant Christian School.
We had a German Shepherd puppy during the time we lived here. I had made a batch of yeast rolls and had the bowl sitting on the floor register to hurry the rising process. WELL the puppy must have decided that they smelled good uncooked so he ate the dough - we had a MESS as a result!!
That is all I can think of right now but this exercise will probably bring many other memories to mind. I can think of lots of things that don't fall into this time period so I'll have to try to write them later.
1997 - John and I were living in Fort Myers, he was working as an architect and I was one of several secretaries at the church we attended, First Assembly of God. The owner of another architectural firm hired John for much less than he was making for the other firm with promises that John would receive BIG bonuses periodically during the year. Those promises were not fulfilled so while visiting my mother in Tallahassee John went to the Department of Health to meet with officials over the design and construction of medical clinics, he was the architect on a medical clinic in our area. While visiting with these men he found out that there was an opening for an architect. He filled out an application and started working for the department in October. As a result we moved to Tallahassee, which was our 2nd time to live in this wonderful city. John's responsibility as an architect was overseeing the design and construction of new or remodeling old health clinics throughout the state. I teased him and said now he can jerk people's chains instead of getting his chain jerked!! hee hee hee I was hired by the Department of Insurance as a secretary in the bureau of Agent and Agency Licensing and later worked for the Bureau of Fire and Arson Investigations as an Administrative Assistant, which I really loved. At the insistence of my mother we moved in with her for a year which turned into 7. In 2004 we bought a house across the street from her house, the 2nd home we had ever owned. We renewed some old friendships at our former church but in 2001 we joined another church where John became an elder and active on the Missions Committee until his passing June 3 2005.
20 Years ago - 1987 - NOW I have really to start thinking. . . . Danny and Joel were living out on their own in Tallahassee, Rachel was living in Palm Bay so that left John and I, and Peter-John and Rebekah still at home. John was working for an architectural firm, Clemmons & Rutherford and I was working in the House of Representative as a secretary. We had built our first own home in 1984 and enjoying it very much. Old friends in Indiana started talking to us about moving there so John could help build a small Bible College so in September of 1988 we sold our home and moved to Indiana. We moved into an 80 year old Sears and Roebuck Fabricated Farm House heated by a wood burning stove. There were "3" bedrooms upstairs none of which was very big but one was really small. We designated it to be Peter-John's room - he said "that's a closet!!" We were living on the church property which was 52 acres partly planted in corn and the property was bordered by state forest. We enjoyed living in the country and was some of the happiest years of my life but ended in a great heart break. I'm happy to say though I still have friends from that community.
NOW 30 YEARS AGO, oh my, memory don't fail me now 1977!!.
Background Information - in November 1974 we had moved from Lexington KY to Miami, actually Naranja, FL to be part of a church ministry. Now that was a real cultural shock - Christmas lights on Palm Trees???? Our pastor moved to Tallahassee to pasor a church there so in July 1976 we moved there too.
Now to 1977 - we had all 5 kids in a Christian school so I had to go to work for the first time in 14 years. I was excited and scared at the same time. I was secretary to Eloise Harbeson, Director of the Tallahassee Community College Library. We rented a house at 801 Laurel Street (thanks Beka for remembering the address). I don't know if this happened exactly in 1977 but Rachel and Danny worked at a McDonalds not far from our house. By the way this is back in the day when they were timed and had to get your meal to you QUICKLY!! Any way, they were walking home one night from work and as they passed a fenced in yard a dog started barking and Danny started running saying " FEET DON'T FAIL ME NOW!!" He says he really wasn't afraid though. John was an elder at the church and working for an architectural firm called Barrett, Daffin and Figg. I think this was the same year that a friend from Naranja, Al Donaldson came up and stayed with us for a few months while he got a mechanic business going and before moving his family up. We used to go to Baskin Robbins for an ice cream treat and one of my favorite flavors was Pralenes and Cream. Al liked it too so he bought half of one of those big containers and brought it home for us to enjoy. I believe this was the same year that Danny and Rachel were the first "graduates" from Covenant Christian School.
We had a German Shepherd puppy during the time we lived here. I had made a batch of yeast rolls and had the bowl sitting on the floor register to hurry the rising process. WELL the puppy must have decided that they smelled good uncooked so he ate the dough - we had a MESS as a result!!
That is all I can think of right now but this exercise will probably bring many other memories to mind. I can think of lots of things that don't fall into this time period so I'll have to try to write them later.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Committment
I plan to continue writing about my life growing up and my adult life but tonight I need to write about something else.
Today my pastor's (Steve) message to our congregation basically was on commitment. He read scripture in II Kings regarding Elijah and James 5. He pointed out 3 things that he needed to destroy (and that we need to destroy in our lives).
1. Baal (which means lord, possessor, controller.)
2. Asherah (sp?) was the wife of Baal and she represented sexual immorality and Elijah hated it. He spoke to the sexual immorality we have today, pornography, especially on the internet, and the hold it has on so many people, even Christians; and the seductive things on TV. 3.Jezzebel (which mean - no commitment).
Elijah was able to destroy 400 prophets of Baal but yet he ran from Jezzebel. He pointed out many things/situations in todays society where people do not make a commitment; people living together unmarried as one example as well as many others. Then he brought it home to the congregation "where is your commitment to the church or more importantly to the Lord?"
To what and where are we giving our time and our resources? Are we praying every day? So much more was said but I can't write it all here.
(I listened to Dr. Charles Stanley before going to church and his message was don't put off committing to the Lord, then this afternoon I read Tony's (my son-in-law) blog of August 17 and he wrote about the need for more commitment in the church, i.e Body of Christ. Do you think the Lord is trying to tell us something??)
Steve's message spoke to me as I have been trying to hear/know what the Lord wants me to do. My whole life was supporting my husband and taking care of family; since John is now in the presence of the Lord I am on my own and need to know what He has for me. This is a new and different, and in a way lonesome, path for me. John and I always agreed on things together, now I don't have him to look to or lean on - I am having to learn how to look and lean only on the Lord. I need to seek more earnestly to know and hear His voice.
Today my pastor's (Steve) message to our congregation basically was on commitment. He read scripture in II Kings regarding Elijah and James 5. He pointed out 3 things that he needed to destroy (and that we need to destroy in our lives).
1. Baal (which means lord, possessor, controller.)
2. Asherah (sp?) was the wife of Baal and she represented sexual immorality and Elijah hated it. He spoke to the sexual immorality we have today, pornography, especially on the internet, and the hold it has on so many people, even Christians; and the seductive things on TV. 3.Jezzebel (which mean - no commitment).
Elijah was able to destroy 400 prophets of Baal but yet he ran from Jezzebel. He pointed out many things/situations in todays society where people do not make a commitment; people living together unmarried as one example as well as many others. Then he brought it home to the congregation "where is your commitment to the church or more importantly to the Lord?"
To what and where are we giving our time and our resources? Are we praying every day? So much more was said but I can't write it all here.
(I listened to Dr. Charles Stanley before going to church and his message was don't put off committing to the Lord, then this afternoon I read Tony's (my son-in-law) blog of August 17 and he wrote about the need for more commitment in the church, i.e Body of Christ. Do you think the Lord is trying to tell us something??)
Steve's message spoke to me as I have been trying to hear/know what the Lord wants me to do. My whole life was supporting my husband and taking care of family; since John is now in the presence of the Lord I am on my own and need to know what He has for me. This is a new and different, and in a way lonesome, path for me. John and I always agreed on things together, now I don't have him to look to or lean on - I am having to learn how to look and lean only on the Lord. I need to seek more earnestly to know and hear His voice.
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