Friday, June 8, 2012

A Mighty God RJD #11




Journal Entry December 13, 1998

For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be on His shoulder.
And his name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
 Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Isaiah 9:6(NKJV)

Isaiah lists four titles for Jesus. Tonight, I will reflect on the title Mighty God. He is the strongest person I know; He bears all our burdens, all of our sorrows, all our grief. Psalm 55:22 tells us He will sustain us. He will never let the righteous fall.
            Tonight, my husband had to hear something about a man in our church; he heard this story from some former members. I had my reasons for not sharing this story with Jim.
            1.) At some point fact becomes gossip or at least hearsay.
            2.) I was concerned about the gentleman and the turn of events. I didn’t want to                                communicate anger or apprehension to my husband.
            3.) I don’t always understand my husband’s reaction to what I tell him.
            4.) I try not to spread rumors or pass on tales or bad stories on people.
            5.) I want God’s approval on my life; so I try to abide by His rules and                                            teachings.
            I have to trust God with my feelings for these people. I need to know that my  feelings for these people are true and in line with what God wants.
            I believe God can be trusted for everything and, because of His great might that my trust is as it should be. I want to examine my heart to see if I am correct in my thoughts.
            Lord, search me, look into my heart and see if I am attaining the qualities that You desire me to have. Please forgive me for my bad behavior that I displayed today.





Wednesday, June 6, 2012


Small Group Prayers

“For where two or three come together
in my name, there I am with them.”
 Matt 18:20 (NIV)

This verse gives me pause. Jesus states that all it takes is two or three meeting for His purpose for Him to be present.

Where could some people meet and Jesus be among them?

            ●At a restaurant- people bow their heads and say grace before their meal.
            ●At a funeral home- people who attend calling hours silently pray for the                                          bereaved family and their close friends.
            ●At any gathering of friends- a going-away party, a graduation open house, a                                   baby shower.
            ●In a hospital room- a visitor will pray for the patient and his or her family.
            ●At a board meeting- I serve on the board of a faith based nonprofit. We ask God                            to be in our meetings and to guide us as we make decisions.
            ●Christians have the privilege of asking God to be with them no matter the size of                           the group-he says, ‘two or three’.

            As I write this I am thinking about the Relay for Life gathering in our town. The Relay will be the end of next week. It’s a walk-a-thon to create awareness of Cancer and to honor those who have survived this disease. A friend of mine—a five plus year survivor of Breast Cancer—and her son—a recent bone marrow transplant patient – will be attending. I said I would be there to support them but I have to take one day at a time. People who have family going through Cancer or who go through the treatments themselves rely on the prayers of others.

Monday, June 4, 2012

Book Review: The Searchers by Joseph Loconte


What about the two disciples whom Jesus
met on the road to Emmaus?




            Joseph Loconte explores the feelings and thoughts of Christians, using the Emmaus Road experience as a springboard. This author explores the grief aspect of those who had their hopes shattered by Christ’s death on the cross. He probes the minds of the two disciples and reminds us that we all, as believers, have endured the disillusionment these two faced.

            Mr. Loconte piqued my interest about how deeply the two disciples actually felt about what had transpired at Golgotha. This book challenged me to stay true to my desire to grow closer to Jesus. Mr. Loconte inspired me to search for God’s truth in all circumstances. This author made me think about different habits, customs, and thoughts I have practiced. I need to both replace a few of them with better ones and put others into use more often.

            Joseph Loconte uses his knowledge of world history to bring out examples of human frailty and the heartache that ensues when we allow our faith to slacken. This aspect of his writings kept me reading and waiting for what would come next.
           
            Mr. Loconte presented his case in an orderly fashion. He presents Biblical truth at the same time he unfolds new depths of the story of the two men on the road to Emmaus.
I would recommend this book to anyone who was in a teaching capacity in churches or to someone who searches for a deeper walk with God.
__________________
FTC Compliance:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through Booksneeze.com. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I expressed are my own. I disclose this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> 

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