I have been asked to conduct a funeral in a few weeks for a young man (18 years of age) that was murdered last spring in the Brunswick area. Please pray that God will give me wisdom as we minister to the family and those coming to the service. Thank you for praying for the service this Sunday. I am sensing the increasing vital importance of each service. Do not become familiar with the table God sets for us each opportunity we have to gather. Forsake the assembly at your own peril. It is also our covered dish Sunday. Extending our time of fellowship once a month is a real joy and each is encouraged to enter in. Kim and I again wish to thank you all for the prayers, cards, flowers, facebook postings and phone calls we have received over the past week. It means so much to the both of us. Kim has stage 3a Cancer which means that the cancer as been detected in four lymph nodes. A PET scan which has been ordered will reveal where the cancer has spread to (if it has spread) and then a Chemo regime will be established. We expect this process to begin within the next few weeks. While we wish for a different diagnosis we also sense the presence of the Lord as we have been given this opportunity to bring Glory to God in a trial of our faith. We do not stop living when we receive some discomforting news. We will redeem the time that God has given us and learn from it. The comfort which we are receiving will be used by God to comfort others now and into the future. God never wastes a test. May we receive the grace to glorify Him in this one. Fresh from the Throne September 5, 2014 Then he said, Go borrow vessels at large for yourself from all your neighbors, even empty vessels; do not get a few. 2 Kings 4:3 The women in this story is desperate. Her husband had died and they had financial obligations she could not pay. A creditor had come to take her two children to be his slaves. Arent you glad we no longer go to jail or have to sell our children when we overspend on our credit cards. The situation for this widow was dire and there seemed to be no way out. Until the man of God comes on the scene. Elisha, the prophet happened by and asked her what he could do for her. Once she explained the predicament he asked her what she had in her home. All she had was one cup of olive oil. While this was a precious commodity it was in no way enough to take care of the debt. So Elisha told her to go and gather empty bowls from all the neighbors. When her sons had returned with all the borrowed bowls she begin to pour into each one from the cup of oil she had. Miraculously the oil in the cup did not run out. It just keep pouring into all the empty bowls until she was able to go and sell all the oil and had enough to pay off her debts. There comes a time in each of our lives when we need to express to God a faith that believes what He has said to us. Sometimes we wait on God when in fact He is waiting on us. Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1). There is a story in the popular Christian movie, Facing the Giants that talks about faith with action that believes God. There was a draught in the land and two farmers prayed for rain to come. One farmer did nothing but the other farmer prepared buckets to collect the rain. Which one acted on his faith? Which one actually believed that rain was coming? The one who prepared of course. I t is no different in our lives. Has God spoken to your heart concerning something not yet seen? What practical steps can you take that reveal you actually believe God? Is it time to go to the neighbors and collect empty bowls? Perhaps God has quickened to you that a friend or relative will soon be won to Him. Why not go out and buy them a Bible in preparation for the day when it happens. Has God spoken to your heart that you are called to be a minister of the Gospel? Is it time to purchase some study helps or enroll in a Bible College class and begin to prepare your mind and heart for the day when He launches you out? We are not advocating presumption or name it and claim it. What we are encouraging is acting on what God has clearly communicated to your heart through a quickening from the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. He still speaks to His people today. He will reveal enough of His will as you seek Him with all your heart for you to begin to collect empty bowls. God is not deaf. He hears our prayers and oftentimes waits on us to act in such a way that we actually believe He has heard and will answer. And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. Once you have sought Him begin to prepare to receive the answer to your prayers. Have an expectation in His faithfulness that does not strive but rather rests in Who God is and what He has promised. God is not a man that He can lie. Begin today to collect those empty bowls, and do not get just a few.
Posted on: Fri, 05 Sep 2014 10:35:23 +0000
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