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As I continue to fall in love with the Lord and His Word, God has given me a passion for you. It is exciting for me to be able to share what I feel God is saying to me in hopes that it will encourage your walk of faith also. Yet, I am continually amazed and inspired by what many of you share with me about how the Lord is speaking to you and what He is doing in your life.
So I want to hear more. I believe that when we share our journeys in Christ with others it does two things: What we feel God is doing in our lives is strengthened and affirmed and it encourages those around us in their walks with the Lord.
Your submission does not need to be perfect. Just share what is on your heart and make sure it glorifies God. Remember that what God speaks to you is His heart being shared with you. So really, we are just scribes of the King!
My prayer is that God will be glorified by our praises and each of you will be encouraged as you hear Him speak your name.
So I want to hear more. I believe that when we share our journeys in Christ with others it does two things: What we feel God is doing in our lives is strengthened and affirmed and it encourages those around us in their walks with the Lord.
Your submission does not need to be perfect. Just share what is on your heart and make sure it glorifies God. Remember that what God speaks to you is His heart being shared with you. So really, we are just scribes of the King!
My prayer is that God will be glorified by our praises and each of you will be encouraged as you hear Him speak your name.
8 comments:
In a recent e-mail I was inspired as I read about a woman whose family was going through a difficult situation. As the family sat around the dinner table they decided to pray using scripture and apply it to their circumstances. They began to quote stories of God's faithfulness and apply it to their life, such as, "God, you are the same God who rescued the Israelites from Pharoah, and I know You will rescue me..."
So I say, " God, You are the same God who fed 5,000 with 5 loaves and 2 fish, so I know that what I bring to You will be all You need to do a miracle in my life."
Now, your turn...
This is soooo exciting! I have been sharing some thoughts with Susan,and now she is giving us all a chance to share w/one another! I'm anxious to read other's thoughts as well.
Here is my latest thought that I would like to share:
As I was driving to the Leadership Summit last week for the 2nd day, I had an imagined conversation with my husband, Charlie. He had laughed (in a nice way)at my chosen route I had taken to Stevens Creek Church the previous day, and I figured he would ask me when I got home on the 2nd day what route I had taken. I came up with, what I thought, was a pretty good answer, even though I had taken the same route as the previous day! My answer to him was going to be, "I got there the best way I knew how".
As soon as that thought came through my mind, another was right behind it. I was struck with the similarities between what a seeking-Christian might say to a Christian. There are so many people on this road of life, trying to make the journey to Heaven "the best way I know how". True, it may not be the best way at all, it may not even get them to Heaven. When asked how they are doing, they think they're ok, but we as Christians, and knowing the "right" way to get to Heaven, know a better route.
I was afraid to try any other way, because I was unsure of where it may have led me. Charlie has tried in the past to verbally give me directions, but unless I can see those directions clearly in my mind's eye, I am very uncomfortable trying to figure them out while I'm on the road. But, if someone had been traveling with me on those 1st and 2nd days and said they knew a better way and could actually show me, I would have changed my direction and let them set the course.
Maybe we as Christians could be a little more sensitive to the ones who are trying to make it "the best way I know how" and actually SHOW them the best way. It may not be enough for them to HEAR it; they need to be shown. May we not get too busy to show someone the way.
Hi, I am Daniel Hyde. Maybe most of you may know me
This blog has special meaning to me because it has caused a reflection on my walk with my Lord through the seventy-one years of my life. As a young child brought up by Christian parents, and early on, living in reasonable vicinity of Christian grandparents, Uncles and Aunts. I was privileged to have Bible stories told or read to me by parents and relatives at bedtimes, evening family devotions during which our family gathered, played an assortment of games, sometimes sang together, had a Bible reading, then each child when old enough, was given a chance to pray, following our parents prayer. One night, during our family gathering at five years old, I remember asking my mother to pray for me, I wanted to ask Jesus into my heart.
Through growing up years, there were times I was kept from many perils, both physical and spiritual, but I knew who was my great Shepherd. Early on, I asked God to Sanctify me wholly. Believe me, God never made me a perfect child or teenager. I had a lot of growing in grace to do. I found in later years that the rod and staff mentioned in Psalm 23 eventually came to comfort me. I am grateful for the chastening and guidance of my parents. I attended camp meetings, youth camps, every church service and revival there ever was it seemed. [S.S., Sunday morning worship, Sunday evening evangelistic services, Wednesday evening prayer meetings, N.Y.P.S (NYI), VBS, Zone meetings. I heard preachers like C.B. Fuggett, C.C. Knippers, Dr. James Dobson, Sr., Nettie Miller, General Superintendents from way back. We had evangelists in our home. Back then people would invite the pastor and evangelists out to their homes for dinner. Oh, don’t let me forget to mention our church had Cottage prayer meetings every Friday night at one of the members’ homes. One time I counted 18 piled in our 1933 Chrysler hauling them out in the country to a Cottage prayer meeting. There were folding chairs, paper back hymnals, a church member would in share a devotional, take prayer requests, and then everybody would begin praying at once. Every once in a while at one of the meetings, somebody would “pray through”. Ask your pastor what that means! There would come praises, and shouts of victory. My mother was a shouter when she got blessed. I was on a back porch at one of the homes when God’s glory fell on those at one of the Cottage prayer meetings. I was about 11 years old. There was no doubt in my mind that my God was real at that moment. There were shouters in our Nazarene church at Fitzgerald, GA at that time. The handkerchiefs would come out, and some of them would take for the aisles around the church. That was when there was more than one Alter service per meeting. The Holy Ghost power went searching and convicting, working on the hearts of those present.
All of this said, that you have some background of where I found my roots with my personal Savior. Through the years, God has communicated with me in many ways. Everyone will probably hear God differently. He called me to preach when I was 21. It was a moving within my Spirit and there was no doubt. He has spoken through His inspired Word, the very thing I needed to understand at the moment. He has spoken through affliction and hardship at times, as well as through inspiration. Twice I heard my name called during the night. It was so profound, distinct and powerful, with a holy presence, I knew who was speaking. God has spoken through other Christians. Sometimes it is through an encounter or incident, He speaks. I prayed, and still pray, for God to speak. You know what? Each time it seems God spoke in a different way. God has spoken to me in retrospect, sometimes it is a present thing, and in leadings to prepare or learn not knowing that God was leading toward something to come later.
After all, God is the same yesterday, today and forever. He is ever there for us. It seems that God desires to keep us tuned in not knowing when, where, or by what means He will next speak.
Was it not in a still small voice He spoke to Elijah? Sometimes it comes as fire upon the Altar as it did for Elijah. We need our secret closets, and private time praying, listening, reading the Word. This truly is not 71 years in length, is it? Blessings.
Thanks, Dad, for a beautiful life lived for the King. I can testify that what you read is truly what you get with my dad. He loves God more than most that I know. Those are words of wisdom and as a testimony to God's grace.
I am also moved by Sharon's insights in the midst of everyday life. That is one of the ways I hear God speak the most-through an event in my day. Usually somewhere between making a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich and the dry cleaners. Blessings!
Reading Stewardship book and was stopped by the description of success. "Success for the Christian is seeking to know the whole will of God for all of life."
Our success is not measured by mere human expectations that could never match the level of living as God designed.
Some days it feels like failure some days like success. But we walk by faith not sight. The only failure is when we fail to do the will of God.
Today, as Satan draws my attention to my short comings, I cling to faith that God is using it for His glory. As long as I am doing my best to glorify Him.
Crawl, walk, run, lots of skinned knees along the way!
Thanks for sharing, Rhonda. I was struck by the realization, yesterday,
that I was smack dab in the middle of God's will at that moment. It is like hitting the sweet spot on a golf ball- I don't always get it right, but when I do it feels great!!
In the last few weeks I have been waking up at times during the night after heart wrenching dreams of children being abused. I feel so compelled to pray for these children that I don't even know so much that I literally feel sick. Then a couple weeks later a friend from church that did not know this came up to me and stared sharing her heart for hurting children, then at a conference 4 days later one of the speakers was the leader of International justice mission. An organization that fights to free women and children from slavery and abuse around the world.
It was then that I remembered that about 6wks. ago I began to pray that God would give me His heart as I was praying so that I would know how to pray better.
Now I understand the sudden urge to pray and the compassion that overwhelms me...it is actually God's heart being superimposed onto mine. His heart grieves the injustices of the world and is calling Christians to pray and to reach out.
When we pray for His heart we need to be ready to feel pain and hurt and compassion and unexplainable love. That is the sweet spot of prayer and there is no other place I'd rather be.
A friend recently sent me a message that I have read before from Rick Warren. He talks about how life is a series of good and bad things at the same time. I remember the starting words from a popular book "It was the best of times and it was the worst of times."
I am so glad that God gives us good times in the middle of bad times!!!
It is a battle to choose to focus on the good things instead of the bad. And God has been so good to me by giving me that choice.
With so much sadness surrounding us in our fallen world it only makes sense to highlight good things. So here goes: I have a good paying job , where I work for/with some believers and some pre-Christians. We are free to talk about our faith and encourage one another without fear of going to jail. I have a closing date for the rental property I've being trying to sale for almost a year. I have loving friends and family, a great church to fellowship in, and most of all a loving, forgiving, TRANSFORMING God.
What a wonderful change in my life has been made since Jesus came into my life!
Rhonda
Amen!
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