Saturday, September 27, 2008

"Have You Prayed About It?"

Have you ever worried about an issue only to find yourself getting sick? All of us are susceptible to this consequence. You know what I mean. The list of these illnesses runs from migraine headaches, to eye twitch, to soreness in the backbone, to upset stomach and its aftermath. Sometimes we find ourselves so emotional we cry and cry for a long time.

Children of God have a resource to combat these illnesses. He even taught us how to use it. Jesus modeled it for us. It’s called prayer.

We don’t utilize prayer enough. People need to pray first. If we would pray about a need or a circumstance in our lives when they begin to be in our lives, we would have the strength to withstand the force of anything this world could put in our path.

The Apostle Paul tells us to ‘pray about everything’. (Phil. 4:6) He also says we should be ‘faithful in prayer.’ (Rom. 12:12) Even when he and Silas were imprisoned, they were ‘praying and singing hymns to God’. (Acts 16:25)

This is our Christian heritage. We should continue the practice of our Spiritual ancestors and pray. It also behooves us to pray first, before things overwhelm us.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Your Debt’s Been Paid

As we finished eating our meal at Bob Evan’s this afternoon, our server came to our table and announced, “Another customer paid your bill.”

My husband and I looked at each other, stunned. The server described the person and his wife, telling us where they had sat. We realized who it was. Our neighbors had been at that table, the same table we saw them at the last time we were there. Only this time Hubby was the one who saw them. My back was to them.

These neighbors were living here when we moved in almost 33 years ago. He worked at the factory with hubby. He has always been a helpful neighbor. He takes care of his wife who is critically ill. The server and the cashier told us this couple eat there every day.

I got to thinking about another bill we have outstanding against us. The debt of sin. Once we give our hearts to the Lord, Jesus pays that bill for us. I wonder if we are as appreciative for Jesus’ paying our debt of sin for us as we should be.

Because Jesus paid the debt for our sins, we are saved from an eternity in hell. There is an old chorus that goes: I had a debt I could not pay;He paid a debt He did not owe.

Monday, September 22, 2008

The Holy Spirit in Our Lives

When Jesus tells his disciples he will leave them soon, He tells them he will ask the Father to send a Counselor to help them. (John 14:16) The Couselor, the Holy Spirit,whom the Father sends in His name, is to teach the disciples all things and remind them of what Jesus said to them. (John 14:26) Jesus told the disciples he had to depart from them in order for the Holy Spirit to come to them.(John 16:7)

We 21st Century Christians see the Holy Spirit working in lives today. We witness this work in healings, in reconciliations, in the advancement of the Kingdom. In order for people to see and understand the workings of the Holy Spirit they have to be open to Jesus.

Being open to Jesus and to the Holy Spirit, simply put, means we have to have a vital relationship with Him. This can only be achieved through the practice of prayer, meditation and Bible study. We should also invite Jesus’ Holy Spirit into our corporate worshipour church services. At the bottom of our church’s bulletin every week is the following sentence. “ The service is subject to change by the leading of the Holy Spirit.”
And a lot of times the service does change.

Sometimes our lives change because of the Holy Spirit’s leading. One day, just over six years ago, I had turned my day over to the Lord. My husband had been talking about getting an additional car. I wasn’t sure about this. But the day I turned my activities over to God, we bought a carand it took most of the day.

This past Saturday I took part in auditions for a Christmas play. I am not in the play, I will be helping direct that play. Those of us who are helping direct it were quite pleased with the turn out and especially the attitudes of the one trying out. But it was a long day. I was not very active yesterday after church and Sunday school. But this morning all the tiredness of Saturday must have caught up with me. But then He knew I would need the rest.

My week’s activities have been altered. My hubby and I are planning to take a trip to the southern part of the state, where he grew up. He is facing possible surgery to remove some pins and a plate from his ankle he broke in January. As I was making out my week’s schedule and my writing schedule yesterday, I had no idea he was thinking about doing this. And Friday is his birthday, so I am altering my week’s plans.

God Alone

  Jesus and the children at our church's prayer walk.          I will both lie down in peace and sleep;  For You alone, O LORD make ...