religion

I received a phone call a couple of days ago. The person on the other end told me they knew I have the using kind of religion not just the Church house type of religion. This person was concerned about the health of a loved one and asked me to pray with them for that loved ones recovery. We discussed Matthew 18:19&20 new [living translation] (19) I also tell you this; If two of you agree down here on earth concerning anything you ask, My Father in Heaven will do it for you. (20) For where two or three gather together because they are mine, I am there among them. We also discussed James 1:6-8 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. My question to you is; do you have the using kind of religion? When you ask God for something do you get results? Do you believe the promises of God's word. Do you take the Bible seriously? If your answers to these questions are yes, and you know you are where you should be with the Lord, then you can expect God to move on your behalf. When you ask God for something stand in faith and do not waver until it comes to pass no matter how long it takes. Once you have asked God for something in prayer don't keep asking Him over and over for the same thing, believe that you received what you have asked for when you asked for it. Then thank Him for answering your prayer every time you think about that thing. If you keep asking for the same thing over and over again that shows a lack of faith. The Bible tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God. HAVE FAITH IN GOD TO DO WHAT HE SAID HE WILL DO. When is the last time someone asked you to pray with them for something because you have the using kind of religion?

church face

Definition of church face - Face you put on for church. Happy, excited, concerned, loving, interested. Leaves immediantly after church is over unless you run into or have lunch with other church members. Sounds familiar. Keith ran into this at a church that we attended. He went up to a woman and greeted her and she looked at him in the eyes, said nothing and walked away. A few minutes later, the same woman walked up to him and said, "I'm sorry. I didn't have on my church face." Yes this actually happened. All during service she was as mentioned in the definition. We saw her in the grocery store days later and she acted as though she didn't know us. Years ago I waitressed on Sundays. There were 4 of us that waited on 200 to 300 people every Sunday. Between the 4 of us if we made$100 we thought we had hit the jackpot. Thing was is that we waited on church people. By the time we got them, the church face had disappeared. They were the rudist people to deal with. Very demanding, little patience, and certainly didn't tip for our efforts to please them. The sad thing about it was that many of my co-workers would tell me that was the reason that they didn' t go to church, was because of the way we were treated by "church people". Last night we went to eat after church. The waitress made the comment to us that she loved waiting on us because we weren't like them, we weren't fake. As I looked around the room, what did I see? Church people without their church face. So my question to you is how often do your wear your church face.? Is it only for church? Why should we expect people to listen to us about the Lord when they don't see Christ in us?

The Shack

I just finished reading a book called The Shack. If you have already read it you will agree that you either like it or hate it. There was one instance in the book that although I knew, it just seemed to hit home. It talked about the breath of God. How He breathed His breath into Adam and gave him life, and also how Adam breathed that very breath out when he fell. WOW!!!! And then it saddened me for an instant thinking how Adam must have felt. To release the very breath of God from his being. But what about us? When we make Him our Lord and Savior, He lives in us. And how often do we feel Him in us? How often do we feel His presence in our lives.? How often do we feel His breath in us? How often do we show Him how much we love Him? How often do we fellowship with Him? And truthfully, are we any better than Adam?

A Prayer for Hope

May you walk out into His world each morning and see it as He does with all the wonder of a child, the joy of the unexpected that might be around the next corner; to see beauty along the way, the discernment to see the potential in any situation, the assurance to believe His constant
presence is with you no matter what, an awareness of man's words spoken yet hearing God's heart instead, contentment to rest in all that you do not know....yet to embrace where He has called you for this Moment, allowing Him to build on the foundation He has laid in your life, because He knows what comes down the road and each moment could be His way of equipping you. Above all else the courage to love yourself as He does because you are a masterpiece, created by Holiness. Found this at Grey like snuffie. Do not know if she is the author but I thought it was wonderful

A Prayer for Hope

Preparation

Seems as though lately that the Lord has been giving me Pastor Sandy's teaching before he teaches. Also things that the Lord has shown Keith, He also has shown me. Sounds weird? Not to me. I realized tonight that the Holy Spirit is teaching me. He is giving me confirmation so that I know that the things which He is showing me is from Him. All lessons in preparation. There will come a time, very soon, when we will be out of our element. Where we will know no one, have no available resources, no conveniences to speak of and our life depends solely on listening to Him. Every step we take will be directed by Him. Every word we speak will be directed by Him. So I listen, intently, knowing that my only resource is Him. And I find peace in that. That my Father is teaching me and preparing me for the journey ahead.

Today I was blessed. Not that I am not blessed everyday, but today I was especially blessed. I was priviledged to see what the Lord can do. Not once but twice. A young women who not very long ago rededicated her life to the Lord stood on the altar and sang "I can only Imagine". And you could feel the sweetness of her Spirit as she sang not only to us but to the Lord. Then her husband (who also rededicated) stood behind the altar and taught on choices. And as I watched all this manifest before me all I could say was "God is Good". I do not know if this was the first time that either of these two ever did this before but it was the first time I got to see them. I only pray that they are aware of the calling on their lives. Kim and Buddy if you read this, I was blessed today by you and by what the Lord did in you today.