Jake had just started school at the local Christian Academy and I was working once again in the public relations department for the Bureau. We were both getting accustomed to this new routine. I had picked him up from the after care program when I realized I had forgotten to take something out for dinner that night. As we headed to the supermarket, he began to tell me about his day:
“You know what, Mommy?”
“Hummmm?” I responded half-listening… I mean I was a woman on a mission…
“Back in the olden days, when Jesus was alive…He went to pray and told His disciples to go ahead of him in a boat. Then when he was done…he walked on the water to them. Did you know that, Mommy?”
“I sure did know that.” now listening a little more intently.
“But they were scared of Him…I don’t know why, it was just Jesus…but they thought it was a ghost. Can you believe that, Mommy?”
“No, son, I can’t believe that.”
“It’s alright…he told them don’t be afraid, it’s just me”
“Really?” I replied.
“Yep…but Peter told him, Lord if that’s you tell me to walk out on the water to you. So He did and Peter stepped out of that boat and walked on the water too! Can you believe that, Mommy?”
“I sure can believe it, son.”
“Guess what happened then, Mommy, guess! Peter got scared and looked down and he started sinking! Can’t you just believe it? Jesus reached out and caught him just in time. That’s just like us, isn’t it, Mommy… when we take our eyes off Jesus we begin sinking in this world... don't we?”
“We sure do, son, we sure do.”
The next week our house burned and we lost almost everything…I had spent the better part of three years working to renovate it and it was gone…in the flash of an electrical fire. I remember standing there in what used to be the foyer and hearing that little kindergarten voice say… “That’s just like us, isn’t it, Mommy…when we take our eyes off Jesus we begin sinking in this world don’t we?”
The miracle here…that small voice…that reminder from God to let go and let Him prove He was in control…I knew then if I just trusted in Him…everything would be fine. It was way beyond fine...it turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Friday, November 14, 2008
Elijah's Miracle
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about miracles and have decided to work my way through the Gospels for the next week or so to prepare my heart for a true Christmas celebration. From the announcement of the coming birth of Jesus to His resurrection and ascension, the Gospels are filled with miracles...and it is with that awe we should enter into this holiday season.
However, one of my favorite ‘miracles’ comes not from the Gospels but from the Old Testament (1Kings 18) Elijah confronts the people of Israel and the prophets of baal and asherah on Mount Carmel. How the false prophets (450 for baal and 400 for asherah) called all day upon their god to bring down fire from heaven, how Elijah even taunted them a bit…I can see it! 1 Kings 18:27 “Shout louder!” he said. “Surely he is a god!” and he goes on about maybe he’s sleeping, or busy, or traveling… Then the group of false prophets really worked themselves into a frenzy of begging and pleading.
Of course, Elijah waits and at nightfall has the altar of the One True God drenched with water and with a beautiful prayer calls upon God...
1Kings 18:37 “Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again”…verse38 “Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.” Verse 39 “When the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, ‘The Lord – He is God! The Lord – He is God!”
It was a kind of in-your-face miracle and revelation to the people. But I digress…
I can hardly read about Elijah without thinking of one of our children’s church students from some time back. He was small even for a four year old; this boy named Elijah. His father had been ‘forced’ to attend church his entire life so when he joined the military and married an ‘unchurched’ woman attending worship services was an issue that never came up. What they had not counted on was moving into a house across the street from our Pastor’s sister, Faith.
Faith has the biggest heart of any person I know. She is always helping others even when her resources are depleted…even if it means watching someone’s child after she’d been at the church cleaning all night. Naturally, she befriended the young couple new to the neighborhood.
It started with a prayer request one Wednesday night. Elijah was ill and the doctor’s could not pin point the problem. Round after round of tests finally offered the diagnosis most feared – cancer. He began treatment and he and his mom began attending church on Sunday’s with Faith when possible. Elijah was pretty well behaved, but the thing that sticks out most in my mind about him was how he would sometimes lay down on the floor and place his face on the cool tiles.
For almost two years the war between this child and the believers he was surrounded with and the beast cancer raged on. Some battles were won…some were lost. He had been in a period of remission for many months when he went for a check up…a mass was in the spot where a kidney had been removed and there was a spot on his diaphragm that looked ‘suspicious.’ Surgery was scheduled. His mother was almost beside herself and so we gathered together around the altar the Sunday night before surgery, Pastor anointed Elijah, and the elders and saints began to pray…praying for a healing… he is but a child…praying nothing would be there...we pleaded that the Lord would use this boy, this illness to show Himself real to this young couple… we prayed believing for a miracle.
By the time I arrived at Children's Hospital the next morning Elijah had just gone into surgery and the waiting room was full. We prayed, poured a cup of coffee and prepared to hunker down for the long day of surgery and recovery ahead. It wasn’t thirty minutes until the doctor walked in to the waiting room. This could mean either victory or defeat and we couldn’t tell which by the look on his face.
All of the sudden a huge grin spread across the doctor’s face and he said, “I don’t know what happened. The tests on Friday showed the mass and spot still there and this morning there is nothing…no mass, no spot. It must be a miracle.” It was victory indeed! Not only was there no mass or spot… Elijah went into remission! They were with us almost a year after that when the parents were transferred…such is military life.
James 5:14-16 “Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” ~NIV
My plan over the next couple, three or so, posts is to share with you some miracles I have personally seen and challenge you to think about (and share) the miracles you have seen…big or small…in-your-face or subtle...
God is always at work in the midst of His people! May we have eyes to see and ears to hear!
However, one of my favorite ‘miracles’ comes not from the Gospels but from the Old Testament (1Kings 18) Elijah confronts the people of Israel and the prophets of baal and asherah on Mount Carmel. How the false prophets (450 for baal and 400 for asherah) called all day upon their god to bring down fire from heaven, how Elijah even taunted them a bit…I can see it! 1 Kings 18:27 “Shout louder!” he said. “Surely he is a god!” and he goes on about maybe he’s sleeping, or busy, or traveling… Then the group of false prophets really worked themselves into a frenzy of begging and pleading.
Of course, Elijah waits and at nightfall has the altar of the One True God drenched with water and with a beautiful prayer calls upon God...
1Kings 18:37 “Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again”…verse38 “Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.” Verse 39 “When the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, ‘The Lord – He is God! The Lord – He is God!”
It was a kind of in-your-face miracle and revelation to the people. But I digress…
I can hardly read about Elijah without thinking of one of our children’s church students from some time back. He was small even for a four year old; this boy named Elijah. His father had been ‘forced’ to attend church his entire life so when he joined the military and married an ‘unchurched’ woman attending worship services was an issue that never came up. What they had not counted on was moving into a house across the street from our Pastor’s sister, Faith.
Faith has the biggest heart of any person I know. She is always helping others even when her resources are depleted…even if it means watching someone’s child after she’d been at the church cleaning all night. Naturally, she befriended the young couple new to the neighborhood.
It started with a prayer request one Wednesday night. Elijah was ill and the doctor’s could not pin point the problem. Round after round of tests finally offered the diagnosis most feared – cancer. He began treatment and he and his mom began attending church on Sunday’s with Faith when possible. Elijah was pretty well behaved, but the thing that sticks out most in my mind about him was how he would sometimes lay down on the floor and place his face on the cool tiles.
For almost two years the war between this child and the believers he was surrounded with and the beast cancer raged on. Some battles were won…some were lost. He had been in a period of remission for many months when he went for a check up…a mass was in the spot where a kidney had been removed and there was a spot on his diaphragm that looked ‘suspicious.’ Surgery was scheduled. His mother was almost beside herself and so we gathered together around the altar the Sunday night before surgery, Pastor anointed Elijah, and the elders and saints began to pray…praying for a healing… he is but a child…praying nothing would be there...we pleaded that the Lord would use this boy, this illness to show Himself real to this young couple… we prayed believing for a miracle.
By the time I arrived at Children's Hospital the next morning Elijah had just gone into surgery and the waiting room was full. We prayed, poured a cup of coffee and prepared to hunker down for the long day of surgery and recovery ahead. It wasn’t thirty minutes until the doctor walked in to the waiting room. This could mean either victory or defeat and we couldn’t tell which by the look on his face.
All of the sudden a huge grin spread across the doctor’s face and he said, “I don’t know what happened. The tests on Friday showed the mass and spot still there and this morning there is nothing…no mass, no spot. It must be a miracle.” It was victory indeed! Not only was there no mass or spot… Elijah went into remission! They were with us almost a year after that when the parents were transferred…such is military life.
James 5:14-16 “Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” ~NIV
My plan over the next couple, three or so, posts is to share with you some miracles I have personally seen and challenge you to think about (and share) the miracles you have seen…big or small…in-your-face or subtle...
God is always at work in the midst of His people! May we have eyes to see and ears to hear!
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Beginning Again
The Land of Beginning Again
by: Louise Fletcher
I wish that there were some wonderful place
Called the Land of Beginning Again
Where all our mistakes and all our heartaches
And all of our selfish grief
Could be dropped like a shabby old coat by the door
And never be put on again.
I wish we could come on it all unaware
Like the hunter who finds a lost trail
And I wish that the one whom our blindness has done
The greatest injustice of all
Could be at the gates like an old friend that waits
For the comrade he’s gladdest to hail.
We would find all the things we intended to do
But forgot, and remembered too late;
Little praises unspoken, little promises broken
And all of the thousand and one
Little duties neglected that might have perfected
The day for one less fortunate.
It wouldn’t be possible not to be kind
In the Land of Beginning Again
And the ones we misjudged and the ones whom we grudged
Their moments of victory then
Would find in the grasp of our loving handclasp
More than penitent lips could explain.
For what had been hardest we’d known had been best
And what had seemed loss would be gain
For there isn’t a sting that will not take a wing
When we’ve faced it and laughed it away,
And I think that the laughter is most what we’re after
In the Land of Beginning Again.
So I wish that there were some wonderful place
Called the Land of Beginning Again
Where all our mistakes and all our heartaches
And all of our selfish grief
Could be dropped like a shabby old coat at the door
And never be put on again.
One of my most cherished possessions was a book my mother had given me titled The Best Loved Poems of the American People. Alas, I lost the book when our house burned about ten years ago. To this day the above poem is one of my favorites. During my darkest days when I could see no way out of the mess I had made my life. I was stuck; hopeless, battered, soul-dead and weary, bitter, lost, and lonely; yet surrounded by people who called themselves "friends." This poem represented a hope, a wish. I read it so many times I could almost quote it in its entirety.
Praise God, I have found the true land of beginning again and the King of that wonderful place is Jesus! Just like that shabby old coat, I dropped my old life at the altar and walked through the door of forgiveness and restoration. Oh, I have suffered the consequences of my actions and decisions. Let’s just call them what they are, sins. But those consequences are a strong reminder of the grace of a living and loving God that gives beyond measure and loves beyond human reasoning. And while sometimes the road of life is long and winding, "up hill in the snow both ways" and the struggles are real. Life itself is no longer a struggle.
As I think back to those days when I tried to wash away the worries, heartache, and disappointments with a bottle of vodka and the 'pill of the week'…the times I contemplated death and took my own life as I picked up a pen and paper and died a thousand times with the written word. I am so thankful that someone somewhere was praying for my salvation. I can now see all those seed-planters along the way.
To now know that God has a plan for my life...that I am in His hand, that He is the great protector, the provider, and the giver of life, the lover of my soul… I am amazed and thankful that this joy I have is eternal! Though at times I will be sad, I will experience troubles...His hand is there guiding all the way. I have to stop here and just say, Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God Almighty who was and is and is to come. His mercies are renewed daily and I rest in His presence.
by: Louise Fletcher
I wish that there were some wonderful place
Called the Land of Beginning Again
Where all our mistakes and all our heartaches
And all of our selfish grief
Could be dropped like a shabby old coat by the door
And never be put on again.
I wish we could come on it all unaware
Like the hunter who finds a lost trail
And I wish that the one whom our blindness has done
The greatest injustice of all
Could be at the gates like an old friend that waits
For the comrade he’s gladdest to hail.
We would find all the things we intended to do
But forgot, and remembered too late;
Little praises unspoken, little promises broken
And all of the thousand and one
Little duties neglected that might have perfected
The day for one less fortunate.
It wouldn’t be possible not to be kind
In the Land of Beginning Again
And the ones we misjudged and the ones whom we grudged
Their moments of victory then
Would find in the grasp of our loving handclasp
More than penitent lips could explain.
For what had been hardest we’d known had been best
And what had seemed loss would be gain
For there isn’t a sting that will not take a wing
When we’ve faced it and laughed it away,
And I think that the laughter is most what we’re after
In the Land of Beginning Again.
So I wish that there were some wonderful place
Called the Land of Beginning Again
Where all our mistakes and all our heartaches
And all of our selfish grief
Could be dropped like a shabby old coat at the door
And never be put on again.
One of my most cherished possessions was a book my mother had given me titled The Best Loved Poems of the American People. Alas, I lost the book when our house burned about ten years ago. To this day the above poem is one of my favorites. During my darkest days when I could see no way out of the mess I had made my life. I was stuck; hopeless, battered, soul-dead and weary, bitter, lost, and lonely; yet surrounded by people who called themselves "friends." This poem represented a hope, a wish. I read it so many times I could almost quote it in its entirety.
Praise God, I have found the true land of beginning again and the King of that wonderful place is Jesus! Just like that shabby old coat, I dropped my old life at the altar and walked through the door of forgiveness and restoration. Oh, I have suffered the consequences of my actions and decisions. Let’s just call them what they are, sins. But those consequences are a strong reminder of the grace of a living and loving God that gives beyond measure and loves beyond human reasoning. And while sometimes the road of life is long and winding, "up hill in the snow both ways" and the struggles are real. Life itself is no longer a struggle.
As I think back to those days when I tried to wash away the worries, heartache, and disappointments with a bottle of vodka and the 'pill of the week'…the times I contemplated death and took my own life as I picked up a pen and paper and died a thousand times with the written word. I am so thankful that someone somewhere was praying for my salvation. I can now see all those seed-planters along the way.
To now know that God has a plan for my life...that I am in His hand, that He is the great protector, the provider, and the giver of life, the lover of my soul… I am amazed and thankful that this joy I have is eternal! Though at times I will be sad, I will experience troubles...His hand is there guiding all the way. I have to stop here and just say, Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God Almighty who was and is and is to come. His mercies are renewed daily and I rest in His presence.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY AND INFLUENCE ON MY LIFE
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Robert E. Bennett, Sr. [Grampy] I thought everyone's grandfather had tattoos and ear rings!
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Uncle Mike - US Navy UDT, SEAL - A true American Hero!
He rescued the Apollo 14 Astronauts in between tours of duty in Vietnam. We watched it on television at school. It was so cool!
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Samuel D. Main, Jr. [Dave] US Army - My big brother!
Oh, that's me! US Navy
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Robert E. Main [US Navy] My little brother! Sorry for the quality...the picture was scanned from a framed picture in my mom's living room.
Zachariah D. Main [Zack] My nephew! Military Police - US Air Force - England, in the process of being deployed.
Jacob L. Kyzer [Jake] Our youngest son! Military Police Training - US Army - Fort Leonard Wood, MO - I sure do miss him!
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Saturday Shorts
It will not be long before we settle down with family and friends to celebrate the thanksgiving holiday. It should be more than a one-day event...it should be a lifestyle. God bless...
Don't forget to turn the music off at the bottom of the page.
Don't forget to turn the music off at the bottom of the page.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Happy Friday!
Thanks for the award, Sharon at Technonana...right back at 'cha, sister! You can, and should, check out her blog! She is listed in the 'blogs I read' section on the right! OOPS... I mean on the left! Mercy, I really must wear my glasses when I proof these blogs. Sorry, I still do not know how to embed the link inside the blog. And now to pass along the award. There are so many... Strider, Carey's Corner...Millennium Housewife, The Lind Family, Nanas Living the Dream, So What Can He Eat? Oh, I can't leave out Muse Swings and Dot at Counting My Blessings!Now, I know that's almost everyone listed on the 'blogs I read' section but I love them all so please, please check them out!
Today is the first day of my first weekend as a 'deer hunting widow' Jimmy is leaving for deer camp in a couple of hours...I don't know why can you see them all along the edge of the woods there? You think they know he's not hunting here for a change?
God bless you all, and again, Thanks, Sharon...you have made my day!
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Have you hugged your grandchild lately?
Don't forget to turn the sound off on the player at the bottom of the page. Enjoy!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
The Day After...
I arrived at the fire station about quarter till seven yesterday morning so I could make the coffee and help my mom, the local election sheriff, get the place set up and organized. There were about 35 people in line already, a dozen from our church, and the people just kept coming! It was the biggest turn out we’ve seen from this split liberal/conservative community in a long time. We heard stories of people who had passed by thinking they would come back later when the lines were shorter. That’s a laugh….around noon the crowd thinned out to about 100 or so and I ran to the back to cram some Cheez-it’s and a cup of coffee down, then it was back to the tables…
Not only was the presidential election a historical event in itself…woman vice-president, black president…we had several ‘moral’ issues on the ballet as well. Like a lot of states; some issues passed and other’s failed. One girlfriend won by a small margin, the other won by a great victory. Congratulations, Deborah and Dawn! Sorry, Doug, you lost again this time, but there is always next time! We still love and support you.
The most interesting thing that happened at our polling station yesterday was not that the McCain/Palin ticket won by a landslide, not that our sheriff was re-elected, or that my girlfriends won. It was the commitment of one man, a Vietnam Veteran that lives two doors down from Mom and Dad. He’d been in line almost two hours and was close to getting his turn on one of the three machines when he began experiencing some heaviness in his chest and tingling in his arm…they notified Mom. She immediately called the paramedics but he was not going anywhere until he was allowed to vote. She moved him to the front of the line, as she does with handicapped or infirm voters. This man…cast his ballot with paramedics standing on each side of him. When he was finished they took him into the bay, checked him out, then loaded him into the ambulance and began treating him for the heart attack he was suffering. It was minor and he is still in the hospital today recovering. I would be remiss here if I did not at least mention the two curmudgeons who walked out because he was moved in front of them. I guess that is a true picture of America.
I love this country and served for ten years, stepped into the fray during Desert Storm, and have a young son almost ready for his first duty station, which may (or may not now) be Iraq or Afghanistan. It is with great trepidation that Jimmy and I think of what will happen to our military, as well as our country, in the hands of liberal thinking. But what we do know is that God is still on the throne! He is still in charge! And HIS people will still follow HIM!
Isaiah 40:22-31 "He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy and spreads them out like a tent to live in. He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing. No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than He blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff. ‘To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?’ says the Holy One. Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. Why do you say, ‘O Jacob, and complain O Israel, My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God?’ Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." ~NIV
It is time for Christians...each and every Christian... to be active on a grass roots level in spreading the message of the gospel...it's not just the outreach program of our local church...it's our individual duty, our responsibility... just as much as casting that vote yesterday! It is time for Christians to be ever more vigilant in fervent prayer for our nation as we move forward into this next era remembering all the while…Romans 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Your voice - One Vote
I am working our local polling station today. It is going to be a very long day, indeed as we will head to the courthouse to watch the local results. Let your voice be heard today!
Monday, November 3, 2008
Ordinary to Extraordinary
Remember those sports car commercials that promised a particular company's car was better at speed and handling? You don’t see them much now that the focus "to be green" has gained so much prominence. They promised 0-60 in 4.5 seconds…or something like that…however long the seconds... it was pretty quick. From the outward appearance these cars looked like any other sports car, but the advertising promised extraordinary performance.
In Matthew 4:18-22 we see a picture of four ordinary men. Looking at them they were nothing special, just plain fishermen - but when Jesus entered their lives they became extraordinary!
18) As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19) Come, follow me, Jesus said and I will make you fishers of men. 20) At once they left their nets and followed him. 21) Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father, Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called to them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
When Jesus called these four men, not one of them asked how following Him was going to improve their lives, how it was going to make their business better, their quality of life better, get them a bigger house, a larger salary, more friends, more influence in their community…a better position in their church…. They didn’t need time to think it through. They didn’t have to go and talk with their family and friends, they didn’t need to see a five-year plan or talk to the Small Business Administration. They didn’t need to know the mission, the goals, or the objectives before they made the decision to follow Christ. The scriptures say “at once and immediately” they followed him.
Sometimes, we are called and we delay. We ask ourselves, "Will our friends and family think we are becoming a fanatic?" We try to figure out the repercussions, we weigh the pros and cons; we get caught up in the work of a committee or church board. We consider who will have their feelings hurt, who will support us, we try and put together a plan; when we should really just pray and seek His step-by-step directions. All the while we are delaying the 'work' God has called us to do. Now, I'm not saying a plan is not a good thing…however, if the planning delays the work of God. I’m just saying…we only need to look at Jonah to see what happens when we delay the work of the Master.
If we are His, God calls us to be used by Him, in His timing, for His glory, for His purpose. He calls us to be faithful to Him. When we love the Lord our God with all our heart and all our strength, when we depend on Him, when we put HIM first…He will definitely use us; in big ways and small ways. We won’t have to ask someone else if our calling is from God. We will surely know without a doubt and we must go and do “at once.”
One of my favorite hymns reminds us… "Trust and obey for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus than to trust and obey." Can you hear Him calling you or is the noise of a life lived to satisfy yourself drowning out His voice? Today, will you trust and obey? Will you follow Him into the battle for the souls of man…immediately and at once?
Isaiah 6:8 “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
In Matthew 4:18-22 we see a picture of four ordinary men. Looking at them they were nothing special, just plain fishermen - but when Jesus entered their lives they became extraordinary!
18) As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19) Come, follow me, Jesus said and I will make you fishers of men. 20) At once they left their nets and followed him. 21) Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father, Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called to them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
When Jesus called these four men, not one of them asked how following Him was going to improve their lives, how it was going to make their business better, their quality of life better, get them a bigger house, a larger salary, more friends, more influence in their community…a better position in their church…. They didn’t need time to think it through. They didn’t have to go and talk with their family and friends, they didn’t need to see a five-year plan or talk to the Small Business Administration. They didn’t need to know the mission, the goals, or the objectives before they made the decision to follow Christ. The scriptures say “at once and immediately” they followed him.
Sometimes, we are called and we delay. We ask ourselves, "Will our friends and family think we are becoming a fanatic?" We try to figure out the repercussions, we weigh the pros and cons; we get caught up in the work of a committee or church board. We consider who will have their feelings hurt, who will support us, we try and put together a plan; when we should really just pray and seek His step-by-step directions. All the while we are delaying the 'work' God has called us to do. Now, I'm not saying a plan is not a good thing…however, if the planning delays the work of God. I’m just saying…we only need to look at Jonah to see what happens when we delay the work of the Master.
If we are His, God calls us to be used by Him, in His timing, for His glory, for His purpose. He calls us to be faithful to Him. When we love the Lord our God with all our heart and all our strength, when we depend on Him, when we put HIM first…He will definitely use us; in big ways and small ways. We won’t have to ask someone else if our calling is from God. We will surely know without a doubt and we must go and do “at once.”
One of my favorite hymns reminds us… "Trust and obey for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus than to trust and obey." Can you hear Him calling you or is the noise of a life lived to satisfy yourself drowning out His voice? Today, will you trust and obey? Will you follow Him into the battle for the souls of man…immediately and at once?
Isaiah 6:8 “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Saturday Shorts Take Two
Ok, since my trick on the pastor did not go over so well... here's another. Be sure to turn the music off at the bottom of the page.
HOW DOES A CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN DRUMMER MOW THE LAWN? featuring dwack of david crowder band
HOW DOES A CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN DRUMMER MOW THE LAWN? featuring dwack of david crowder band
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