7.13.2015 "Jacob's Dream at Bethel"

Dear God in Heaven, Thank you for the gift of another day.  Thank you for the gift of life and for the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ.  I love you, I worship you, and I trust you!

As I read and meditate on your Holy Word, please speak to me.  Prepare my heart to receive all that you have for me today.  I ask, Heavenly Father, that you send your Holy Spirit to fill me to overflowing.  Help me to apply your Word to every aspect of my life.

In Jesus' name I pray.  Amen!

Genesis 28:10-15

Jacob’s Dream at Bethel

¹⁰ Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Harran. ¹¹ When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep.¹² He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. ¹³ There above it^[a] stood the Lord, and he said: “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. ¹⁴ Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.^[b] 15 I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

Delton mentioned in Sunday's message that the dream recorded in today's reading was the first direct encounter Jacob had with the Lord.  Jacob was almost certainly aware of the many times God spoke to his grandfather, Abraham.  God told Abraham on a number of occasions he would be the father of many nations, his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky, and all nations of the world would be blessed through him.  Jacob was even more certainly aware of the way his father, Isaac, was spared from death when God provided a substitute sacrifice for Abraham to offer.

What a dream Jacob dreamed!  God starts by boldly stating who it is that is speaking to Jacob.  He connects himself with Jacob's ancestors, Abraham and Isaac.  Then he goes on to make the very same promise of providence and blessing to Jacob that he previously made to his grandfather and father.

As we read God's words to Jacob, I think we all inwardly yearn for those same words of blessing from God.  God has created and wired us for connection with him, so we would all like to hear God speak those same words to us.  The Good News is that he has!  We are even more blessed than Jacob because we live on this side of Jesus' suffering, death, and resurrection.  We have the advantage of Jesus' powerful words, "I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die." (John 11:25 - 26)

As you go about your day today, be reminded that we have a God who is near - personal and present.  God is for me - the best me I can be!

Mark

Saturday's Blog

Welcome to the POG Blog! Today is Saturday which means YOU get to start the discussion on today’s scripture!  What is it saying to you today?  How does it relate to your life right now?  How does it relate to the message from Sunday?  Enjoy reading, meditating, and sharing your thoughts with others today!

Today’s Scripture is:    Psalm 31:19-24

¹⁹ How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you, that you bestow in the sight of all, on those who take refuge in you. ²⁰ In the shelter of your presence you hide them from all human intrigues; you keep them safe in your dwelling from accusing tongues.

²¹ Praise be to the Lord, for he showed me the wonders of his love when I was in a city under siege. ²² In my alarm I said, “I am cut off from your sight!” Yet you heard my cry for mercy when I called to you for help.

²³ Love the Lord, all his faithful people! The Lord preserves those who are true to him, but the proud he pays back in full. ²⁴ Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.

Deceived Deceiver

Our bible reference for today is some rather dramatic and provocative words from Jesus!  He is talking to some Jewish religious leaders who think they have the inside track to truth and to God.  Let’s listen! “⁴² Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me. ⁴³ Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. ⁴⁴ You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. ⁴⁵ Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! ⁴⁶ Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? ⁴⁷ Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”

They thought they had God figured out and they thought they were following Him and then God shows up in Jesus and tells them that they are wrong!  They are not following the true God… they are deceived!

Deception is our theme this week coming off of Sunday’s story of deception from the story of Jacob and Esau.  Jesus is so helpful here because He reveals the source of “deception” – Satan – the Evil One – the Great Deceiver!

This is helpful!  The issue of deception is an issue of spiritual warfare!  Deception is so pervasive and powerful because there is power behind it… a mastermind pulling the strings doing what he does best…leading broken sinful people like you and me into deception and recruiting us to be deceivers!  Satan had been successful recruiting the religious establishment of Jesus’ day into his army of deceived deceivers and he is still at it today!

I don’t want to be a deceived deceiver! Yesterday I made a quick trip to my Mom and Dad’s to help them out with a project for a few hours.  I was supposed to bring a tool called a “crowbar”.  I was running 30 minutes late when I left and then 20 minutes down the road I realized I forgot the crowbar.  I turned around and went back.  So now I am an additional 40 minutes late.  I call Mom.  She is cool.  They aren’t going anywhere.  Very gracious and besides that they know there son well….  and I know them well…. They will be gracious everytime!

What bothered me was my thought process!  After I realized that I had to turn around I was somewhat relieved because now I had an excuse (forgetting the crowbar) for all of my tardiness.  I thought about how I could tell the story in such a way to make me sound better, less delinquent, more the victim.  Even though I knew grace is abundant… my parents aren’t ever upset at things like this… I still was tempted to lace my conversation with deceit to make myself look less bad or foolish.

Even though I am confident of grace from them… in that moment I was deceived into thinking maybe they would not be graceful and therefore I was open to being deceitful to make myself look better.  I dipped my toe in the pool of deceived deceivers!

I am sorry Jesus!  You are my only victory over this evil tendency I have!  Thank you for being victorious of deception and the deceiver!  I will trust you Jesus!  I will pull off the highway of deception at the exit called Jesus! Amen

delton

7.9.15 "The Son Will Set You Free"

The Son Will Set you Free  

John 8: 31-36

31 To the Jews who had believed in him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 

33 They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone.  How can you say that we shall be set free?”

34 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 

35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever.

 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

Jesus came to set us free from the slavery of sin.  He did his part by the cross and resurrection.  He continues to stand in the gap; between us and God.  He is waiting, watching, ready to come to us and live in us through the Holy Spirit.

It’s up to each of us to believe, and to receive him and his gift of forgiveness and salvation.

What keeps people from accepting Jesus gift?  What keeps believers from surrendering themselves fully.

He explains it in these verses that everyone who sins is a slave to sin.

Sin, holds us back, and prevents us from being all that God desires for us to be. It is like the sticky gooey mud that we have here in Texas.  After the recent rains and floods, a lot of it was transported into homes and cars and places that it does not belong!  Like the floods, sin leaves a long trail of destruction behind it that affects everyone.  Clean up of all the mud and damage that the flood caused, has taken many weeks and a lot of team work and will continue for months to come.

However, sin, can only be cleansed by Jesus, God’s Son.

Jesus came to set us free from our sins and to help us through the affects that a sinful world has on each of us.

One are of sin that I have struggled with over the years is Fear.  It has returned again and again as I have given into it instead of trusting God.  I have used it as an excuse to stay home, be safe and hold back. It also brought me feelings of loneliness and depression.  I was like the salt that lost it’s saltiness – good for nothing!  I knew, that I was not living as God wanted; but just existing in my own strength.  I thought that If I was in control of my life then I could avoid the dangers around me, but I was deceiving myself.

As Pastor Delton said on Sunday:  “When caught on the road called “deceit” take the exit named “Jesus” !   Jesus was my exit from that way of life that I had grown use to.  I realized that I was letting fear guide me instead of Jesus.

As my faith in Jesus was renewed, he helped me to let go of my fear and to trust him, as he lead me to go out and serve him in many new areas.    I am still working in this area to overcome the habit of letting fear stop me from following through with what God is calling me to do.

Being set free by Jesus has helped me to grow stronger in my faith and to be more confident in who I am in Christ.  One thing that I would like to do better is to talk with others about Jesus and not be afraid of their reaction.  I am learning to be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit when talking with others about Jesus and the best way to share with each person.

How has Jesus set you free?

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank you for freeing us from the slavery of our sins.  Forgive us and help us to overcome the areas of weakness and areas of sin that have become bad habits.  Help us to exit from our old ways and to live in new ways according to your leading us each day.   Amen!

PD

7.8.15 “The Cast”

July 8, 2015 “The Cast”

Heavenly Father, we thank you for this day…especially the time that get to spend with you…and each other.

In the name of Jesus, Amen!

Genesis 27:30-35 (NKJV)

³⁰ Now it happened, as soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, and Jacob had scarcely gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting. ³¹ He also had made savory food, and brought it to his father, and said to his father, “Let my father arise and eat of his son’s game, that your soul may bless me.”

³² And his father Isaac said to him, “Who are you?”

So he said, “I am your son, your firstborn, Esau.”

³³ Then Isaac trembled exceedingly, and said, “Who? Where is the one who hunted game and brought it to me? I ate all of it before you came, and I have blessed him—and indeed he shall be blessed.”

³⁴ When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with an exceedingly great and bitter cry, and said to his father, “Bless me—me also, O my father!”

³⁵ But he said, “Your brother came with deceit and has taken away your blessing.”

As the saga of Jacob and Esau continues, I can’t help but think that modern day era soap operas & family sitcoms ain’t got nothin’ on these folks.

This story is hard to figure for me.  I mean, why in the world would God the Father Almighty put up with this junk…much less use it for a story for all time in His good book?  Just look at the results of the casts lack of faith…even in the midst of a divine promise made directly to them.   The old man patriarch, while seemingly enjoying the presence of his family through a fine meal and getting to carry out his fatherly duty, is shook to his core.  The eldest son finally “wakes up” and gets serious about this inheritance thing, only to find out that...in his mind… he’s been shafted by his brother…again!...and to make matters worst, in this situation, there ain’t no “partial credit”…no “participation trophy”…no “do over’s”.

That was the human side of this story…but not the whole story or the end of the story.  That part of the writing is reserved for the One who makes and keeps His promises…even when His cast of children allow deception, unfaithfulness and sin to creep into the family story.

To God Be the Glory!

jwb

7.7.15 "God Knows Best"

Genesis 27: 5-10 5 Now Rebekah was listening as Isaac spoke to his son Esau.  When Esau left for the open country to hunt game and bring it back,  6 Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “Look, I overheard your father say to your brother Esau, 7 ‘Bring me some game and prepare me some tasty food to eat, so that I may give you my blessing in the presence of the Lord before I die.’  8 Now my son, listen carefully and do what I tell you:  9 Go out to the flock and bring me two choice young goats, so I can prepare some tasty food for your father, just the way he likes it.  10 Then take it to your father to eat, so that he may give you his blessing before he dies.”

In this part of the story of Isaac and Family we see Rebekah taking control of the situation and helping Jacob to secure the birthright that was suppose to go to Esau being the first born male.

In Genesis 25 The Lord said that, “the older will serve the younger”.   So, with time running out quickly and Isaac in his blind and frail physical state, Rebekah decided  to matters into her own hands.    Together Mother and younger son worked to bring the ultimate reward for Jacob, the coveted blessing of Isaac his father.

There is so much wrong going on here, it makes for a great Soap Opera!

First is Rebekah, not trusting the Lord to bring about what he foretold before her two sons were born, and taking control of the situation by helping Jacob to deceive his father.   Another is Rebekah, favoring Jacob the younger son and guiding him in this act.   We can only imagine the relationship issues of this family.  The rivalry between the two brothers is evident.  Each was favored by of one of their parents.

Growing up, my Mom was all about being fair; because she had not been treated fairly as the 2^nd to youngest child in a large family.   I remember my older sisters getting to do things that I wasn’t allowed to do yet because I wasn’t old enough.  I expected to do the same things when I was their age and I couldn’t wait until then.  As I got older I realized I didn’t always get to do what my older siblings did because circumstances were different and I was different. . Raising my kids now I realize how hard it is to treat them all the same, when they are all different personalities and respond differently.  I love them all the same, but relate to them each differently because of who they are.  I realized also, that I have changed over the years as well.  I am a different person now with my youngest child than I was with my first child.

Now in our relationship with God, he does love us each the same, but he has different gifts and callings for us.  We each have different ways we were raised, different beliefs, different challenges, and unique personalities.

Jesus died on the cross to forgive us all of our sins and make it possible for all of us to have eternal life with God.   We need to trust that God knows what he is doing.  That he is working all things out for those who love him.  God: Our Creator, Father and Provider, is in control of all things, I am not!  When ever I find myself trying to control the outcome of a situation, that is a signal to me that I need to let go of whatever it is and step back, breathe, and ask God take control of the situation.  I get tired of fighting and wear myself out over trying to control things and make them work out how I think they should.  It’s much better I have found to take each situation to God first and let him guide me through it, allowing him to work it all out.  He does work things out and does it so much better than I ever could.

The verse that always comes back to me is:

Proverbs 3:5&6 Trust in Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways submit to him and he will make your path straight.

Oh God, thank you for guiding us through our lives, and loving each one of us for ourselves.   I know that your plan is the best.  Help us to trust in you with all our hearts! 

Amen.

Patrice

7.6.2015 "Care and Feeding"

The Scripture for today is Genesis 25:29-34 ²⁹ Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. ³⁰ He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!” (That is why he was also called Edom)

³¹ Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.”

³² “Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?”

³³ But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob.

³⁴ Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left.

So Esau despised his birthright.

Esau sold his rights and privileges as the firstborn son for a bowl of stew.  He eagerly gave up his spiritual role as the future leader and patriarch of his family for food to fill a hungry stomach. The writer of Hebrews, in verse 12:16, refers to Esau as godless.  As Abraham’s direct descendent, Esau was heir to the covenant promise that God made to Abraham and his descendents.  Esau despised his birthright, his rights and privileges – holding the promises of God so lightly that they had no value to him.  As I ponder this story and reflect further, I am struck that Esau’s story is incredibly relevant today.

Faithful God in his unfathomable mercy and grace has kept EVERY promise made to his children (US).  But we are so often like our ancestor Esau.  Because of Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins, our inheritance is eternal life.  But how many of us despise our inheritance?  Despise is a very strong word.  Perhaps scorn, disdain, dismiss, ignore, or consider worthless are easier words to digest.  I can’t say that I like any of those better.  BUT…as the daughter of a King, I have an inheritance, a birthright. The life I live, whether significant or not in the eyes of the world, is lived in the Kingdom of God.  Jesus said that the greatest commandment is to love God with all my heart, soul and mind.  In other words, I am commanded to love God above all else.  Jesus said that the second greatest commandment is to love my neighbor as myself.  How do I honor my special responsibilities and privileges, i.e. my birthright?  How do I genuinely show my love for God and my neighbor?

Like Esau, I become famished.  It is so easy to fill my spiritual hunger with things like retail therapy; entertainment; work and other distractions.  However, once these things are consumed, I am hungry again.  I need daily rhythms to feed my soul and keep me connected to the Father.  Time in his word and prayer nourish me and when I am nourished in this way, I am eager to show God how much I love him by obeying him and loving those he calls me to love.  I am willing to accept and glory in my birthright as his daughter.  I cherish my calling in his kingdom here on earth.  How about you?  How do you stay nourished as you carry out your calling, treasuring your birthright as a child of God?

Lord Jesus, your sacrifice paid for my inheritance in the Kingdom of God.  You washed away my sin and made me righteous in the Father’s eyes.  Teach me to value my birthright and to treasure it every day of my life. Help me to faithfully demonstrate my love and obedience to the Father.   I love you, Lord Jesus.  Amen.

Kelly

Saturday's Blog

Welcome to the POG Blog! Today is Saturday which means YOU get to start the discussion on today’s scripture!  What is it saying to you today?  How does it relate to your life right now?  How does it relate to the message from Sunday?  Enjoy reading, meditating, and sharing your thoughts with others today!

Today’s Scripture is:    Psalm 23

¹ The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. ²     He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, ³     he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. ⁴ Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

⁵ You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. ⁶ Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

7.3.2015 "FOLLOW GOD’S COMMANDS-EASY? MAYBE NOT!"

John 14:21-24New International Version (NIV) ²¹ Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

²² Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”

²³ Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. ²⁴ Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

Ok, this is easy.  Follow God’s commandments because that means I love Christ.  If I love Christ, then God will love me and Christ will love me.  I have my nice little box that I can live within!   Simple enough.

But is it really that simple?  I shall have no other Gods and shall not make idols.  Uh oh is money, wealth, house, car, job, family etc. a God or idol?  Do I put those 1^st over God?  If I am (knowingly or unknowingly) then I can’t even get past the 1^st 2 commandments.  Do I lie?  (Is exaggerating or stretching the truth considered a lie?).  Do I covet?  Is wanting what someone else has, considered coveting?  (More money, nicer house, better car).  I think so.

Well, maybe this is going to be a little harder than I thought.  So much for my little box.  It is going to take a lot more effort to follow God’s commandments than I initially thought.  But that is what pastor was saying Sunday.  God provides more than I could ask or imagine.  My box, my boundaries are not limited.  He knows that I am going to screw up and unwittingly not follow these “easy commandments”.  Yet He loves me anyway!

I just need to understand that I am not perfect and that I will mess up.  Once I realize that, then I can ask for forgiveness and try harder.  I have to put God first over everything.  The devil will continue to put these other idols or thoughts in my head.  But I can say no, I want the God Head to love me so I must follow His commandments.

The task is daunting, but God knows my limits and I am nowhere near my limit.  I can continue to grow my faith, love, obedience & follow Him and His commands.  It won’t be easy.  But God has never promised that it would be easy.  He has however, promised to love me if I follow His commands.

I want & desire His love, so I will continue to try to obey His commands and to not be deterred by the devil, my vanity or anything else.

What about you?  Do you want to be loved by God & Christ?  Can you obey His commands?  I would love to hear from you.

God please help me.  I know I am not perfect and fail in always following Your commands.  Please forgive me because I desperately desire your love.  I pray that Your reign come over me and that Your will be done.  Amen

Jerry

7.2.15 "By Faith"

Hebrews 11:17-19 By faith, Abraham, at the time of testing, offered Isaac back to God.  Acting in faith, he was as ready to return the promised son, his only son, as he had been to receive him – and this after he had already been told, “Your descendants shall come from Isaac.”  Abraham figured that if God wanted to, He could raise the dead.  In a sense, that’s what happened when he received Isaac back, alive off the altar.

The very first two words stop me in my tracks.  “By faith.”   And in the next sentence, “Acting in faith.” I am convicted that I myself rarely “act in faith.”    My default is to figure it out for myself – or worry first, pray later.  Oh, to mature enough to “act in faith” first.

Abraham didn’t always act in faith first.  He lied not once, but twice that Sarai was his sister – not his wife – to save his own skin!  He was “afraid” since she was so beautiful, that the king or other men, would kill him in order to take Sarai.  He agreed to Sarai’s idea to take matters into their own hands – out of a lack of faith – to have a child through Hagar instead of trusting God to fulfill His promise to give them a child.

Perhaps Abraham grew wiser after those times of a lack of faith – and when it really counted – when God asked him to sacrifice Isaac – Abraham had grown into his ability to act in faith and trust God to provide – even to the point of raising Isaac from the dead if necessary.

Even though Abraham is in the Hall of Fame as a great man of Faith --- Abraham isn’t the hero of the story – God is!  God is always faithful – when we are not!

When we repeatedly do not act in faith – HE repeatedly is faithful.  Abraham had times of faith, and times of a lack of faith.  Don’t we, also?  There have been many times in my life that I take matters into my own hands and “help” God out.  So many times I have not acted in faith.  But, there have been a few times in my life, when I  actually did "act in faith".  We are all “roller coasters” aren’t we?

But, our Almighty, Faithful, True, God is NOT a roller coaster of faith – He is constantly faithful – unwavering in His promises to us.  I am forever grateful for this Faithful merciful God.

Finally, the sentence, “By faith, Abraham, at the time of testing, offered Isaac back to God” caught my eye.  What is my “Isaac” that God has given me?  What is my “Isaac” that God wants me to offer back to Him?  And, do I have faith to do so?

-dawn

7.1.2015 “Because you have obeyed me…”

⁹ When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. ¹⁰ Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. ¹¹ But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied.

¹² “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”

¹³ Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram^[a] caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. ¹⁴ So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

¹⁵ The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time ¹⁶ and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, ¹⁷ I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, ¹⁸ and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”

My breath gets taken away every time I read the part where “Abraham reaches out his hand and took the knife to slay his son” as I try to imagine being in a similar scenario with one of my children, and every time I drop the knife.

Abraham’s obedience is unwavering even when responding to a request the would make God look very much like the Pagan God’s of the time, often requiring human sacrifices, and kill the promise that God made to make his descendants as numerous as the stars and sand.  And that’s the beauty in the faith of Abraham, it’s not established in the promise, but in God the promiser.  Abraham showed his heart for God by his willingness to give his only son, the same way God demonstrated His love and commitment to us.

So in this picture we have 100 year old Abraham building an altar and 30ish year old Isaac, willingly being set upon the altar and sacrificed.  Willingly has to be implied here because I’ve never met a 100 year old man that could take his 30 year old son, tie him up, and place him on an altar.  The faith of the son and his submission to the father are beautiful images of Jesus that become clear while looking at Isaac in this story.

And then God provides, provides the lamb, the substitute for the sacrifice that is still required and reconfirms His promise to Abraham.  Can you imagine the sheer joy of Abraham at that moment?  Passing the ultimate test of trust, having your son live, and confirming a faith in God that has forever impacted this world…….let that be the joy that we live in every day!

Heavenly Father we thank you for being a loving God who desires our whole hearts.  We pray that our faith would be confident in you and not just your promises and we pray for an unwavering obedience in the midst of our struggles.  God let us live in the joy and the freedom that only comes through faith in Your Son Jesus.  Amen.

6.30.15 “GOD will provide…”

Genesis 22:1-8 Some time later, God tested Abraham’s faith. “Abraham!” God called.

“Yes,” he replied. “Here I am.”

² “Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.”

³ The next morning Abraham got up early. He saddled his donkey and took two of his servants with him, along with his son, Isaac. Then he chopped wood for a fire for a burnt offering and set out for the place God had told him about. ⁴ On the third day of their journey, Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. ⁵ “Stay here with the donkey,” Abraham told the servants. “The boy and I will travel a little farther. We will worship there, and then we will come right back.”

⁶ So Abraham placed the wood for the burnt offering on Isaac’s shoulders, while he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them walked on together, ⁷ Isaac turned to Abraham and said, “Father?”

“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.

“We have the fire and the wood,” the boy said, “but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?”

⁸ “God will provide a sheep for the burnt offering, my son,” Abraham answered. And they both walked on together.

Wow.  Can you believe it?  After waiting all those years for the son of his dreams Abraham finds himself on the road to sacrifice him as a burnt offering.  I am struck by how calm and focused Abraham was.  He doesn’t scream out in horror or even ask GOD why?   What amazing absolute faith.  Abraham had to know two things to react the way he did to this command from GOD.  First, he had to know GOD was GOD, the creator and ruler of all.  Second, he had to know and trust that GOD was not evil, but just the opposite.  Knowing that GOD was GOD and that GOD loved him and his son I believe is the reason Abraham methodically obeyed, seemingly without a second thought.  It is no coincidence that GOD made this exact ultimate sacrifice of HIS SON out of love for us.

The final sentence in this passage is the key to understanding it.   “GOD will provide…”   That was my grandmother’s favorite saying whenever there was trouble of the kind that seemed insurmountable or without reason.   It would be years after she was gone that I would make the connection to this passage.   It also reminds me of a story my Dad used to tell.  Growing up in Louisiana he and his older brother and several friends loved to fish.  They fished a lot like the disciples did.  They would go out in a boat and cast nets in the little river near where they lived.  The river was deep, but shallow enough in places to allow them to occasionally tie off their nets to stakes driven into the lake bed and return later to harvest their catch.

This was the case on a day when it did not seem like the fish were biting.  The nets were tied off and the young men took the small canoe like boat back to shore.  My Dad said that for whatever reason on this particular day they were delayed in returning and it was nearly dark when they made it back to the river.  As a precaution, since it would be well after dark by the time they returned, the older boys made my Dad stay ashore on the rickety old dock with an old cold oil lantern to act as a kind of lighthouse for them.

He was the youngest and he sort of resented being left behind.  He lit the lantern as he had been instructed and sat it on the edge of the dock along with a box of matches.  Dad said he hadn’t realized how dark it had gotten until a sudden gust of wind blew out the flame and blew the box of matches into the water.   In an instant it was pitch dark and the matches were gone in the current.  Not only was it dark but fog was starting to roll in. He searched his pockets for a stray match but nothing.  They had been out there a long time and he had an uneasy feeling, a feeling that something was wrong.  What should he do?  The thought struck him that maybe he should try to swim out and look for them, he could find his way back. But as he thought about this he caught a faint glimpse of his reflection in the water and he heard in his mind a portion of an old hymn “…The arm of flesh will fail you; you dare not trust your own.”  He got up on his knees, bowed his head and prayed.   Then he searched his pockets again this time finding in the crease of one of those pockets the head of a match, just enough for him to relight the lantern.  Almost as soon he got it going he heard the calls and yells from his brother and friends.  Their boat had capsized and they had been clinging to it in the freezing water in shock with no clue of the direction of the shore until they saw the light.

HEAVENLY FATHER, who is like YOU!  Be it a sheep for sacrifice or the head of match in the pocket of a frightened youth, YOU always provide!  Remind us this day that we need not worry or fear for we indeed have a FATHER who loves us enough to put us to the test.  Grant us the faith LORD to know what Abraham knew and the courage to live like it.  In CHRIST name we pray. Amen

6.29.15 "Trusting God"

Please find a quiet place to clear your thoughts.  As we read these verses, ask for the Holy Spirit to rid your mind of busyness, doubt, fear, worry, etc…  Let God’s truth speak to your heart! Genesis 21:1-7 (The Message)

21 ^1-4 God visited Sarah exactly as he said he would; God did to Sarah what he promised: Sarah became pregnant and gave Abraham a son in his old age, and at the very time God had set. Abraham named him Isaac. When his son was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him just as God had commanded.

^5-6 Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born.

Sarah said,

God has blessed me with laughter and all who get the news will laugh with me!

⁷ She also said,

Whoever would have suggested to Abraham that Sarah would one day nurse a baby! Yet here I am! I’ve given the old man a son!

I can just feel the joy in Sarah’s voice when she declares “Yet here I am!  I’ve given the old man a son!”  I can’t imagine waiting THAT long to be able to have a child, at 90 years old.  It reminds me of the years Jim and I weren’t sure if we would be able to have children.  We married young, and waited awhile before we decided to try to have children.  It took four years and four surgeries (I had endometriosis) before we were delighted to find out that we were expecting.

I remember those four years, praying, hoping, going to specialists, and undergoing surgery.  It became a huge priority in our lives.  I remember crying when other friends my age became pregnant, and telling someone at work that I just wanted to know for certain whether it would be possible for me to EVER bear a child.  Was there something in our past that we were being punished for?  Didn’t God think we’d be good parents?  We had begun researching adoption when we found out that what I thought were flu symptoms was the blessing of our first child, Jarrod.  What joy!  As I look back now, in hindsight, God’s timeline was very different than our timeline.  That’s all.  If I had just turned my doubt, worry, and fear completely over to Jesus, would I have been so miserable and self-centered while we waited?  God promises over and over again in his Word (I like Psalm 103:6-18) that he has the very BEST plans for us.  I think I could have lived with a lot more peace during that time period, trusting in God.

So, do you think I learned my lesson?  No!  I still struggle with being self-centered, and placing other things/people ahead of my relationship with God.  I remember having a conversation with my Aunt Marilyn after God had blessed us with three boys.  I was whining about how rowdy they were, and how exhausted I was, and she smiled and looked at me and said, “Ahem, I remember a certain young lady that wanted children very badly…  Of course, it was something I needed to hear, and Aunt Marilyn was wise and loving enough to speak some truth to me!

Because of the sin in this world, I believe we will always struggle with trusting our God completely.  SO, we should begin each day being thankful for our blessings, and place our trust and faith in the God of the Universe, who loves us so much, and provides wisely and lovingly for us every day!

kristi

Psalm 103 (The Message)

103 1-2 O my soul, bless God. From head to toe, I’ll bless his holy name! O my soul, bless God, don’t forget a single blessing! 3-5 He forgives your sins—every one. He heals your diseases—every one. He redeems you from hell—saves your life! He crowns you with love and mercy—a paradise crown. He wraps you in goodness—beauty eternal. He renews your youth—you’re always young in his presence. 6-18 God makes everything come out right; he puts victims back on their feet. He showed Moses how he went about his work, opened up his plans to all Israel. God is sheer mercy and grace; not easily angered, he’s rich in love. He doesn’t endlessly nag and scold, nor hold grudges forever. He doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve, nor pay us back in full for our wrongs. As high as heaven is over the earth, so strong is his love to those who fear him. And as far as sunrise is from sunset, he has separated us from our sins. As parents feel for their children, God feels for those who fear him. He knows us inside and out, keeps in mind that we’re made of mud. Men and women don’t live very long; like wildflowers they spring up and blossom, But a storm snuffs them out just as quickly, leaving nothing to show they were here. God’s love, though, is ever and always, eternally present to all who fear him, Making everything right for them and their children as they follow his Covenant ways and remember to do whatever he said. 19-22 God has set his throne in heaven; he rules over us all. He’s the King! So bless God, you angels, ready and able to fly at his bidding, quick to hear and do what he says. Bless God, all you armies of angels, alert to respond to whatever he wills. Bless God, all creatures, wherever you are— everything and everyone made by God. And you, O my soul, bless God!

Saturday's Blog

Welcome to the POG Blog! Today is Saturday which means YOU get to start the discussion on today’s scripture!  What is it saying to you today?  How does it relate to your life right now?  How does it relate to the message from Sunday?  Enjoy reading, meditating, and sharing your thoughts with others today!

Today’s Scripture is:    Psalm 100

¹ Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. ² Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. ³ Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

⁴ Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. ⁵ For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

"Faith and Effort!"

Our scripture text for today is from Ephesians 2! "⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast.¹⁰ For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works,which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:8-10

It seems clear that the Apostle Paul wants us to know that faith in God through Jesus Christ is a gift of God not a result of our working for it or deserving it.  This relationship of trust is not the result of our action or the reward for some sort of good things we have done.  No.... salvation is a gift..... unearned, undeserved ..... gift.

But, the story does not end there!  That is not all there is to the good news of Jesus!

Although faith life is not dependent on our works .... faith life takes our effort and redeems it!  Living by faith takes effort!  It is a gift!  The effort flows from the faith that is the gift!  Look at verse 10!  It is an amazing piece of good news.  We are His handiwork created in Christ to put forth effort in accordance with God's will in our lives.

In the stories of Abraham we have been hearing messages on this reality is played out!  This amazingly gracious relationship God established with Abraham was pure gift from God to Abraham.  As Abraham began to live this life of faith God called forth great effort from him.  God said "Go" to a new land!  Wow!  that took great effort to life by faith and relocate his family!

I sense God saying to me.... almost calling me, "delton, the faith you have is a gift!  Now I want you to exert your very best effort living by faith, following Me, doing what I have called you to do, the little things and the big things."

Today, I get to live in the gift of faith and exert my best effort in accordance with that gift fueled (and this is a really important part) by God's Holy Spirit living in me!

Enjoy!

delton

6.25.2015 “We’re Not Excluded”

Heavenly Father, we thank you for this time together.  Please bless us with the discernment of your will for us this day, and give us the faith and strength necessary to accomplish whatever you have marked out for us.  All this we ask in the name of Jesus…whom we love and adore.  Amen! Genesis 18; 1, 2, 9-15 (NKJV)

18 Then the Lord appeared to him by the terebinth trees of Mamre, as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day. 2 So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing by him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground…

9 Then they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?”

So he said, “Here, in the tent.”

10 And He said, “I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.”

(Sarah was listening in the tent door which was behind him.) 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age; and Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. 12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?”

13 And the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.”

15 But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid.

And He said, “No, but you did laugh!”

First of all, sorry for my tardiness in not getting this in for it to be posted first thing this morning…and a BIG THANKS to Kenda and Kelly for all their work…which sometimes includes enduring those who can’t seem to get their stuff together…me.

In keeping with the theme from Pastors sermon on Sunday…”We desperately need to be centered around God, not be the center”…we have the story of one of the patriarchs who’s family is visited by the Lord himself and a couple of His Angels…and this is not the first time!  Abraham immediately recognizes them and greats them as expected.  God tells Abraham His plan for blessing he and Sarah with a son, while in the meantime, Sarah…

who was listening in the tent door which was behind him…” laughed within herself”…not the laughter of joy, but the laughter of doubt…laughter that she thought only she would know about…where she was the center…and even though maybe only momentarily, totally oblivious to the one Who’s  presence she was in…even though, she was “just behind the door”.

Recognize any of this from your life story?...ever doubted, even though you felt His presence?...knowing that He is all knowing?

…and then Sarah…and I bet Abraham, too…probably get the shock of their lives…God calls Sarah out!  And in customary sinful action…Sarah explicitly denies her laughing at what God had to say...because she was “afraid” (sort of sounds like another story back in the beginning when the Lord is looking for another one of His children).  Then, the “all knowing” Lord & Father of the universe…without condemnation, marked only by the truth…admonishes Sarah…“No, but you did laugh!”

Ya know, I’m thankful God cared enough to reprimand Sarah.  I think that goes to one of my take-aways from this story and this series that Pastor has us walking through…I probably should be thankful, every time, my Lord chooses to reprimand me, and receive it with great humility…because He does care…about me…and all his believing children.

…and how so?...just think about it.  Even though there was doubt cast toward Gods divine plan by one of His children, whom he had just blessed with His presence and the proclamation of a miraculous gift…they were not excluded from His presence.  The one true Father of us all, chose to bless them…draw Abraham and Sarah back to His center…with His mercy…His grace…His unmerited favor…by delivering on His promises.  Sound familiar?

I…and your fellow bloggers…would sure like to hear your thoughts!

Blessings to you and to yours,

jwb

6.22.2015 "Am I living out my plan or God's plan for my life?"

Dear God in Heaven, I adore you and give you all glory and praise.  Thank you for giving us the gift of prayer, and thank you for this time of intentional connection with you.  Please forgive me for the times when I have sinned against you and when I have hurt and offended others.  Please guide and direct me during this time of worship.  Please open my heart and my mind to whatever it is you have for me this day.

In Jesus' precious name I pray.  Amen!

Genesis 16:1-6

Hagar and Ishmael

16 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar; ² so she said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.”

Abram agreed to what Sarai said. ³ So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. ⁴ He slept with Hagar, and she conceived.

When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress.⁵ Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my slave in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the Lord judge between you and me.”

⁶ “Your slave is in your hands,” Abram said. “Do with her whatever you think best.” Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her.

God at the center!  As we heard on Sunday, God had made great promises to Abram: he would be the father of many nations, his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore, and through him all the nations of the earth would be blessed.  There was only one problem - Abram's wife was childless and the couple was getting older. Today's reading is the account of Abram and Sarai's plan to help God out.

This account of Abram, Sarai, Hagar and Ishmael reminds me of all the times I have come up with my own plans for my life - putting myself at the center - rather than praying for and following God's plans.  I am blessed that my poor plans are not recorded in a book like the Bible for all to see and read about.  But many of my plans have had the same disastrous results as Abram and Sarai's.

I maintain that the sooner we learn there is only one way to live life - God's way - the richer and more joy-filled our lives will be.  What I mean by God's way is a life spent walking with God, listening to God, worshipping God, and truly loving God.  Living a life in any other way leads to disaster, separation, heartache, and frustration; similar to what Abram and Sarai experienced.

As you go through the paces of your day today ask yourself, "Am I living out my plan or God's plan for my life?"  Make a conscious effort to seek God's plan; that plan will lead to a full and abundant life with Christ.

May God be the center of your life today!

Mark

Saturday's Blog

Welcome to the POG Blog! Today is Saturday which means YOU get to start the discussion on today’s scripture!  What is it saying to you today?  How does it relate to your life right now?  How does it relate to the message from Sunday?  Enjoy reading, meditating, and sharing your thoughts with others today!

Today’s Scripture is:    Psalm 62

1 Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. 2 Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. 3 How long will you assault me? Would all of you throw me down— this leaning wall, this tottering fence? 4 Surely they intend to topple me from my lofty place; they take delight in lies. With their mouths they bless, but in their hearts they curse. 5 Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. 6 Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. 7 My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. 8 Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. 9 Surely the lowborn are but a breath, the highborn are but a lie. If weighed on a balance, they are nothing; together they are only a breath. 10 Do not trust in extortion or put vain hope in stolen goods; though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them. 11 One thing God has spoken, two things I have heard: “Power belongs to you, God, 12     and with you, Lord, is unfailing love”; and, “You reward everyone according to what they have done.”

6.19.15 "Living By Faith"

Heavenly Father, thank you for this time we have together.  I thank You for the many blessings You’ve poured into my life, known and unknown, and praise You for the work you’ve begun in me.  Quiet my mind and thoughts, that I can hear only You.  Amen. Proverbs 3:5-6, The Message

^5-6 Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track.

In his message last Sunday, Pastor Weiser recounted the story about Abraham in Genesis 12.  God promised a nation to Abraham, and, walking by faith, Abraham and his extended family traveled to a new land from Haran, to Canaan.  Living by faith in God is the only way to have a relationship with our Creator.  Abraham had to leave in order to go to this new place.

I don’t like change.  I just retired from a job where I worked in the same department in the college of business at UT for 35 years.  The department changed titles 3 times during that time period, but Kristi was still there.  Faculty were hired and some left, but Kristi was still there.  Students came and graduated, but Kristi was still there.  Staff came and went, but Kristi was still there.

Don’t get me wrong, this job was a HUGE blessing for me and my family, but as I leave/retire and begin to go into the next phase of my life, I find myself wondering, what next?  I’m filling my time with volunteer activities, spending more time with family, and what I call “puttzing” around the house, but I’ve discovered I need a goal and some boundaries, or the “puttzing” goes on forever. J  I’m finding that the days that I begin with Him have more purpose, and more joy.

As these verses in Proverbs remind me, I need to seek God’s purpose and listen for HIS voice to fill my days. I don’t always succeed, but I’m working on it.  It was good to hear from Pastor’s message that I have ancestors that struggled with the same dilemma too!  God promises that IF I listen for God’s voice, He will keep me on track.  I’m attaching the prayer my sweet brother, Keith Knippa, prayed for me at my retirement party… it reminds me to rely on my God, not my own power… J

Heavenly Father, thank you for your immense love and grace for me.  Thank you for forgiving me when I try to do life without you.  Although I don’t deserve this blessing, thank you for sending your Son as a sacrifice to pay for the way I neglect my relationship with you.  Please send your Holy Spirit to prod me to yearn for a life lived by trusting YOU in all things.  In Jesus’ name I pray.  Amen.

kristi

A Prayer for Kristi on her Retirement Celebration

Who is Kristi without a title, without a schedule, without a job?  Teach her, Oh Lord!   Show her who she is!  Remind her that she is yours.  Open her eyes to the beauty that is herself, and the beauty that surrounds her.  Fill her arms with your compassion. Fill her mind with the vast knowledge that awaits.  Fill her ears with your songs of praise.  Calm her fears!  Remind her that she is vital, that she is needed.  Teach her to embrace her new precious freedom.  Help her live this time wisely.  Give her satisfaction and meaning in all that she does.  Give her joy and peace.  Be close to her, Lord Jesus.

Let her know that you are near.  Bless this gathering, in your name we pray…..  Come Lord Jesus, be our guest, and let this food, to us be blessed, Amen!

6.17.2015 "Go, to the Life that God has for You! "

Genesis 12: 1-7 1The Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.

2“I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.

3 I will bless those who bless you, and who ever curses you I will curse: and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you. “

4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran.

5 He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.

6 Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land.

7 The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land. “

What speaks to me is the close relationship that Abraham had with God. God chose him because of his strong faith.   Abraham feared God, and trusted him. He could do no less than to obey God, when he told him to “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household…” it didn’t really matter where he was going. God said, “Go”, so he went. Abraham did not question God, or hesitate; he just went.

Because of their close relationship, Abraham's Faith in God was strong and solid!

He may have done a lot of things wrong, but this was what he got right, and was blessed by God because of his Faith in God.

I remember making a very important decision many years ago, in which we had to trust God. We believed that God was leading us in a new direction.   We had been keeping with the tradition of both of our families and were attending the traditional church that we had been raised in. We had our two boys baptized and thought that we would raise our children in this church as well.   God had other plans for us.

After our first daughter was born we were sensing that God wanted us to leave this church and go to another church that was very different in how they worshiped and how they taught the bible. We had been feeling stuck and needed more than what the church we were attending had to offer.

We were making an important life-changing decision. It would not only impact us but our children as well. To leave the church where we were raised, it also meant breaking from our families’ traditions and beliefs. It was difficult because it caused a dispute with our families. They were disappointed with our decision. We didn’t want to disappoint them, but we needed to do what we believed God was calling us to do.

We had to let go of the traditions that we were raised by; that we were familiar with and comfortable with, in order to follow God and begin a new way of living our lives. God was calling us to step out in faith and to trust him; even if it lead us away from how our families lived and worshiped God.

Over the years we have had to make many decisions in which we had to trust God. Moving to Texas was God leading us. We were not even looking to move or change jobs. We had only been in Maryland for seven months, and thought that we would be there for at least a few years. We were growing restless, and unsettled. We began praying for God to show us his plan for us. We prayed for a church that would help revive us after feeling burned out from serving in various areas at the church we were attending.

We asked for a pastor who was real and excited about God and where the Holy Spirit was present in the people. We asked for a church with a contemporary worship, but still had a reverence for God in the worship, and in keeping some traditions of service that we loved and believed were important parts of our connection with God and with other believers.

Well God knew the exact church that would be right for us, and brought us all the way to Pflugerville, Texas, to Point of Grace!  God knew the depth of our prayers, even when we did not! He knew exactly where he wanted us to be. He brought us to a place where we would experience healing of past hurts and to be refreshed and renewed in our faith in him.

Now we can look back and see the path that lead us to where we are now, and how it lead us to what God is calling us to do now.   We are now involved in new areas of God’s mission through the church and other ministries. God is still opening new doors and leading us to do new things.   Even more God has revived us and changed our attitudes and motivations from seeking God just for our own needs, to seeking God for his purpose and plan.

I loved Pastor’s sermon this Sunday about letting go of the old to get something new and better, to follow the plan that God has for us.

Abraham had to leave, what was familiar and safe; in order to go to the life God had for Him and be the beginning of God’s plan for all of mankind.

I believe God is asking us to leave what is familiar and safe and trust him as he leads us to new attitudes, new adventures, and new experiences. As we let go of more of ourselves, we receive more of God and all his goodness.

Our life of FAITH is fueled and powered by the Promises and Presence of God.

We need to leave our Comfort, Control, Fear, Shame, etc. of our lives, in order to get peace, joy, love; and all God has planned for us by the presence of his Holy Spirit!

Dear God,

Please help us to let go of the old things that we cling to that are comfortable and make us feel safe, and trust to you in all you ask us to do.   Amen.

Patrice