I was blessed today by the children in our church. I got to lead Children's Church this morning and it was a true blessing. I probably got more out of the lesson than they did. If you read this blog often, you will know that usually I recap the sermon each week. Bro. Edd was away leading revival this week and we had a guest pastor with us today. However; my heart was still satisfied even though I wasn't sitting in a pew this morning. My Children's Church lesson came from Matthew 20: 1 - 16. Many of you may know this to be the parable of the workers. Funny how, the lesson though written for children to understand, made me reflect on my own attitude and life. I think sometimes, we adults, need to be like children. Afterall, we are His children and sometimes He chooses the strangest of ways to speak to us. And yes, sometimes it is through a lesson meant for a child!
One of the hardest lessons we learn is that sometimes life just doesn't seem fair. Last week, the post talked about people who we felt die too early. We hear it all the time, "Why do the good ones always go first?" We walk around admiring people who live like there is no debt and wonder how they do it. You've been there. I know you have. You've said it....."Life isn't fair."
But isn't it?
Let's look at the parable Jesus shared. Read Matthew 20:1 - 16. To paraphrase what happened. So an owner of a vineyard needed help for just one day. He goes out at 6 am and finds men to work. He promises them money for their work. They are to work all day. He sets them to work. He then goes back out around lunchtime and finds more men to work. He promises them the same amount of money as the first group and they are to work the remainder of the day. He sets them to work alongside the men who got there at 6 am. He then goes back out close to quitting time and finds even more men to work. He promises even them the same amount of money as the first two groups and they are to only work for the next hour. He sets them to work alongside all the other men. When it comes time to quit the job for the day, he pays them all the same. Obviously the men who had been there the longest worked more, but were paid exactly the same as the ones who had only worked for an hour. And yes, obviously they felt they deserved more. But isn't the money the landowner's and didn't he have the right to decide what to do with it?
The parable tells us at the beginning that "The kindgom of heaven is like the person who owned the land." And you know what? God is the owner of that land. He sent His son, Jesus to gather us as His workers in the field. Some of us were called at 6 am (or early in life) while some of us are called close to quitting time. Our pay is eternal life in heaven.
This is the part that hit me when I was studying for this lesson. You see, back in 1996, my uncle was murdered. He was a good man in the wrong place at the wrong time. He couldn't hear very well, and had been hired to paint the interior of a new huge home. The owner of this new home was a well known doctor who collected rare guns and artifacts. Someone broke into this new home while my uncle was there painting. He didn't hear the burgular come in till it was too late. What does this have to do with the lesson? Well, it hit me. This guy that murdered my uncle, he could be one of those called close to quitting time by God. His pay is the same as mine. We will both be paid with eternal life in heaven. Did you see that coming? How many of your enemies on earth will walk beside you in Heaven because they were called close to quitting time? Doesn't seem fair does it? I mean, here I am......someone that tries to live my life making choices God would be pleased with. Since I can remember, I have been in church. I have always tried to live right by God. I was called at 6 am to work. I know my pay is coming, but really, I get the same pay as the man who committed murder if he accepts God? YES! Doesn't seem fair but honestly, if we got what was fair, NO ONE WOULD GO TO HEAVEN!!!!! Is it fair of us to claim we are workers for God, yet we just sit in a pew every Sunday? Is it fair of us to claim we talk to God but really the only time we ever talk to Him is on Sunday or when we need something? Really.....are we deserving of the pay we are promised? Thankfully, God loves me even though I am the one being unfair.
Romans 3:23....."All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God!"
Meaning? In God's eyes, all of us are sinners. All of us make mistakes and no mistake, though we tend to rate them on Earth, is bigger than the next in God's eyes. I am so thankful that God is a forgiving God. I have so much that I don't deserve and I know I owe it all to Him. He blesses all of us with so much each day. We often take those blessings for granted. God gives us blessings because He loves us and cares for us......EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US! We are ALL loved the same.
I personally know people, ones I have begged to come to church, that say, "I have done so many bad things in my life." Guess what?!!! It doesn't matter! We have ALL sinned! Their sins are no different than mine. Do not let your mistakes fall on an earthly rating scale. Allow your mistakes to fall on a Heavenly rating scale! Mistakes all weigh the same! God still takes me in day after day, month after month, and minute after minute though my life is not perfect. He loves me through every mistake I make and teaches me valuable lessons in life. Don't wait till quitting time to accept God's calling.....you will miss the blessings of an earthly life with God by your side. I consider that a BONUS on my paycheck! Don't you?
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Sunday, September 11, 2011
The Question Isn't: "Where Were You?" It is...."Where Will You Be?"
Brother Edd Deaton shared a wonderful message this morning. In the shadows of the 10 year anniversary of the falling of heroes in this United States of America, Sparta Baptist gathered together for a moment of silence and then took a step out of our sheltered box to look at where our country is headed. Many would say that our country has found power and strength, that we are finally united as we should be. But are we where we should be? Brother Deaton took us into the book of Isaiah.
We will focus on Isaiah 1:18 - 31. I encourage you to dig out that Bible and read the scriptures. And as you read them I want you to take out the word "Jerusalem" and substitute it with the "United States of America". Wow! As tragedies occur all around us, we often hear people question God. "Why did God let this happen and to so many good people?" Sadly it isn't God's choice to let this happen. We cause much of this ourselves. Look at how times have changed. Look at what is acceptable now compared to what was acceptable 100 years ago. So much bad is now just accepted as part of being free in this country of ours. God gives us warning to not be polluted by such foolishness. United States is further away from God than we have ever been. As I watch the specials and memorials for 9/11 victims I see people holding hands and crying together and comforting each other, yet I wonder how many of them have cried out to God. How many have accepted Him because they saw no other way out of their misery? How many now thank God for thier lives and blessings with their waking breath? How many made that promise to never take anything for granted, not even their salvation?
Are we fooling ourselves to believe this country is heading in the right direction? Our society has killed our spirt. No longer do women teach their children right from wrong nor do we see kids respecting their parents or elders. We no longer have schools or political systems built on God and His laws. Prayer has been swiped from our children. Unless a child attends church he/she is most likely not exposed to God in any way. And even then, some of our churches have become too politically correct that we are scared to speak God's warnings and laws. What are we doing? Read the scripture! We are turning our backs on God.
You know the song, "Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning". Everyone that lived that day can tell you where they were and what they were doing. It is forever sketched into our memories and will be until the day we no longer take breath. But really it isn't about where you "were", it is really where you will "be" that is important! Where will you be when the world changes back to the way God expects it to be? Where will you be when teachers unite together and say, "This isn't right to tell me I can't teach about God or say God or even pray to God and we won't stand for it anymore"? Where will you be when our judges unite together and say, "I can't worry anymore about hurting your feelings or embarrassing you....you did the crime and you will pay the consequence." Where will you be when everyone around you stops thinking selfishly and agrees to help their neighbor in need? Where will you be when it becomes the norm to walk outside and be rushed by a group of people caring about witnessing to you? When our kids' role models stop parading around town like fools in little to no clothing? When television becomes wholesome and shows Christians how to be Christians instead of polluting our minds with filth? When you can turn on the radio and finally hear a song that hit number 1 on the charts and it doesn't have a single curse word in it or talk about sex, drugs, or violence but instead talks about one's walk with God? Imagine living in God's United States of America. It seems so far away from reality because we have just become so immune to the filth around us.
God is asking and begging for a change in our world. We aren't "one nation under God" anymore. We are "one nation in need of God"! And we are fooling ourselves into believing that if we stand united we can overpower anyone. And, unless we are united and following God with our actions we not going to overpower anyone but ourselves.
Where will you be when all Christians stand together to fight for what our country SHOULD be built on?
The sacrifice has already been made and we must not forget. They laid the path, sadly many of us refused to walk the right path and have chosen the path where our pride has wedged itself between us and God.
Our hearts go out to those who lost loved ones that day and days since due to the horrible conditions they had to face. The world has not stopped and we must move forward. Our hearts now, more than ever, need to be set on changing our country into a country and world that God is proud of. And where will you be when that happens?
We will focus on Isaiah 1:18 - 31. I encourage you to dig out that Bible and read the scriptures. And as you read them I want you to take out the word "Jerusalem" and substitute it with the "United States of America". Wow! As tragedies occur all around us, we often hear people question God. "Why did God let this happen and to so many good people?" Sadly it isn't God's choice to let this happen. We cause much of this ourselves. Look at how times have changed. Look at what is acceptable now compared to what was acceptable 100 years ago. So much bad is now just accepted as part of being free in this country of ours. God gives us warning to not be polluted by such foolishness. United States is further away from God than we have ever been. As I watch the specials and memorials for 9/11 victims I see people holding hands and crying together and comforting each other, yet I wonder how many of them have cried out to God. How many have accepted Him because they saw no other way out of their misery? How many now thank God for thier lives and blessings with their waking breath? How many made that promise to never take anything for granted, not even their salvation?
Are we fooling ourselves to believe this country is heading in the right direction? Our society has killed our spirt. No longer do women teach their children right from wrong nor do we see kids respecting their parents or elders. We no longer have schools or political systems built on God and His laws. Prayer has been swiped from our children. Unless a child attends church he/she is most likely not exposed to God in any way. And even then, some of our churches have become too politically correct that we are scared to speak God's warnings and laws. What are we doing? Read the scripture! We are turning our backs on God.
You know the song, "Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning". Everyone that lived that day can tell you where they were and what they were doing. It is forever sketched into our memories and will be until the day we no longer take breath. But really it isn't about where you "were", it is really where you will "be" that is important! Where will you be when the world changes back to the way God expects it to be? Where will you be when teachers unite together and say, "This isn't right to tell me I can't teach about God or say God or even pray to God and we won't stand for it anymore"? Where will you be when our judges unite together and say, "I can't worry anymore about hurting your feelings or embarrassing you....you did the crime and you will pay the consequence." Where will you be when everyone around you stops thinking selfishly and agrees to help their neighbor in need? Where will you be when it becomes the norm to walk outside and be rushed by a group of people caring about witnessing to you? When our kids' role models stop parading around town like fools in little to no clothing? When television becomes wholesome and shows Christians how to be Christians instead of polluting our minds with filth? When you can turn on the radio and finally hear a song that hit number 1 on the charts and it doesn't have a single curse word in it or talk about sex, drugs, or violence but instead talks about one's walk with God? Imagine living in God's United States of America. It seems so far away from reality because we have just become so immune to the filth around us.
God is asking and begging for a change in our world. We aren't "one nation under God" anymore. We are "one nation in need of God"! And we are fooling ourselves into believing that if we stand united we can overpower anyone. And, unless we are united and following God with our actions we not going to overpower anyone but ourselves.
Where will you be when all Christians stand together to fight for what our country SHOULD be built on?
The sacrifice has already been made and we must not forget. They laid the path, sadly many of us refused to walk the right path and have chosen the path where our pride has wedged itself between us and God.
Our hearts go out to those who lost loved ones that day and days since due to the horrible conditions they had to face. The world has not stopped and we must move forward. Our hearts now, more than ever, need to be set on changing our country into a country and world that God is proud of. And where will you be when that happens?
Monday, September 5, 2011
A Lesson For My Heart
I usually post about the message given in church on Sunday morning but this morning I have been led to do something different. This morning my devotional spoke right to me and my heart. This past week has been a difficult one for me. It seems to be true what they say, "When it rains, it pours." It has been one problem right after another this past week for me. I have cried a lot. Early in the week, I found myself saying, "When you get closer to God, Satan gets closer to you....this is just Satan trying to beat on you." I convinced myself everything was going to work out because I am a child of God. Then Saturday rolls around and I have a health scare. Right now, as I type, it is still unknown what is wrong with me. The scariest part is the unknown. What will be done? What will the outcome be? Is it fixable? Is it life threatening? All these thoughts staring me in the face as I type right now. Satan again, sitting in my head laughing at me for being scared. He thinks he has won.....He is mistaken. I opened my bible this morning to do a daily devotion and prayed that God speak to me. Guess what?! He did.
I am a believer that God speaks to me through the great Book! I often in times of question, just let my Bible fall open and believe God will show me answers on the page it opens to. This morning, my Bible opened up to a special devotional page titled: "FEAR"! Wow! When He speaks, He speaks! It wasn't too long ago that my husband and I walked through a storm of fear. In a past post, I shared the devotional message God gave to me then about being on the anvil and that my faith had been restored when God took care of that situation. I still believe He gave us that situation to help us through other trials......um....like the one I am now facing. Sometimes we don't understand why we go through trials in our lives but I can tell you that it is so you can face other trials with more faith than you had in the last trial. Each time you face trials in your life, your faith builds and begin to realize you can depend on God to carry you through every storm. I want to share word for word what my Bible gave me this morning. This comes from the Max Lucado Devotional Bible.
It says:
"Faith is often the child of fear. Fear propelled Peter out of the boat. He'd ridden these waves before. He knew what these storms could do. He'd heard the stories. He'd seen the wreckage. He knew the widos. He knew the storm could kill. And he wanted out.... Look into his eyes tonight and see fear - a suffocating heart racing fear of a man who has no way out. But out of this fear would be born an act of faith, for faith is often the child of fear. If Peter had seen Jesus walking on the water during a calm peaceful day, do you think that he would have walked out to him? Nor do I. Had the lake been carpet smooth and the journey pleasant do you think that Peter would have begged Jesus to take him on a stroll across the top of the water? Doubtful. But give a man a choice between sure death and a crazy chance, and he'll take the chance....every time. Great acts of faith are seldom born out of calm calculation. It wasn't logic that caused Moses to raise his staff on the bank of the Red Sea. It wasn't medical research that convinced Naaman to dip seven times in the river. It wasn't common sense that caused Paul to abandon the Law ans embrace grace. And it wasn't a confident committee that prayed in a small room in Jerusalem for Peter's release from prison. It was a fearful, desperate, band of backed-into-a-corner believers. It was a church with no options. A congregation of have nots pleading for help. And never were they stronger. At the beginning of every act of faith, there is often a seed of fear."
God is speaking to me it seems, almost all the time. My faith in Him will not be shaken. I know that whatever comes my way, He will use this to build me up and make me stronger for my next little storm. This is not going to be the last and I know that. Walking beside God will not always be a smooth road. Without rocks and roadblocks along the way, I would probably be walking the path alone but I realize that God is there walking beside me. If I walk out ahead of Him, I will stumble and get hurt. If I walk beside Him He is there to save me and help me across these hurdles in the way. I can't do this alone. He has to carry me and He will as long as I am willing to crawl up into His arms. I have to trust He knows what He is doing. He counted these tears and knew this day before I was born. He knows the outcome. I just have to trust and have faith in my God.
I know I am not alone. Many people out there are facing trials too. I pray that you are comforted by the words I found this morning in my devotion. I often can feel God cradling me when I need that comfort. I can hear Him saying, "Fear not my child. I am with you. I will take care of it." It gives me peace to know that my God is so awesome that He does teach me faith through my little storms of life. What has He taught you? Think about it.
I am a believer that God speaks to me through the great Book! I often in times of question, just let my Bible fall open and believe God will show me answers on the page it opens to. This morning, my Bible opened up to a special devotional page titled: "FEAR"! Wow! When He speaks, He speaks! It wasn't too long ago that my husband and I walked through a storm of fear. In a past post, I shared the devotional message God gave to me then about being on the anvil and that my faith had been restored when God took care of that situation. I still believe He gave us that situation to help us through other trials......um....like the one I am now facing. Sometimes we don't understand why we go through trials in our lives but I can tell you that it is so you can face other trials with more faith than you had in the last trial. Each time you face trials in your life, your faith builds and begin to realize you can depend on God to carry you through every storm. I want to share word for word what my Bible gave me this morning. This comes from the Max Lucado Devotional Bible.
It says:
"Faith is often the child of fear. Fear propelled Peter out of the boat. He'd ridden these waves before. He knew what these storms could do. He'd heard the stories. He'd seen the wreckage. He knew the widos. He knew the storm could kill. And he wanted out.... Look into his eyes tonight and see fear - a suffocating heart racing fear of a man who has no way out. But out of this fear would be born an act of faith, for faith is often the child of fear. If Peter had seen Jesus walking on the water during a calm peaceful day, do you think that he would have walked out to him? Nor do I. Had the lake been carpet smooth and the journey pleasant do you think that Peter would have begged Jesus to take him on a stroll across the top of the water? Doubtful. But give a man a choice between sure death and a crazy chance, and he'll take the chance....every time. Great acts of faith are seldom born out of calm calculation. It wasn't logic that caused Moses to raise his staff on the bank of the Red Sea. It wasn't medical research that convinced Naaman to dip seven times in the river. It wasn't common sense that caused Paul to abandon the Law ans embrace grace. And it wasn't a confident committee that prayed in a small room in Jerusalem for Peter's release from prison. It was a fearful, desperate, band of backed-into-a-corner believers. It was a church with no options. A congregation of have nots pleading for help. And never were they stronger. At the beginning of every act of faith, there is often a seed of fear."
God is speaking to me it seems, almost all the time. My faith in Him will not be shaken. I know that whatever comes my way, He will use this to build me up and make me stronger for my next little storm. This is not going to be the last and I know that. Walking beside God will not always be a smooth road. Without rocks and roadblocks along the way, I would probably be walking the path alone but I realize that God is there walking beside me. If I walk out ahead of Him, I will stumble and get hurt. If I walk beside Him He is there to save me and help me across these hurdles in the way. I can't do this alone. He has to carry me and He will as long as I am willing to crawl up into His arms. I have to trust He knows what He is doing. He counted these tears and knew this day before I was born. He knows the outcome. I just have to trust and have faith in my God.
I know I am not alone. Many people out there are facing trials too. I pray that you are comforted by the words I found this morning in my devotion. I often can feel God cradling me when I need that comfort. I can hear Him saying, "Fear not my child. I am with you. I will take care of it." It gives me peace to know that my God is so awesome that He does teach me faith through my little storms of life. What has He taught you? Think about it.
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