Prayer request on Prayer Hubs

It's been 1-1/2 months since the passing of our dear friend Suzanne Horne. Those closest to her are still feeling the hurt as if it were yesterday. I don't blame them, especially Bella and Campbell, her children. Bella's grades have been dropping, as she has taken this the hardest.

Please pray for continued comfort for Bella, Campbell, and Suzanne's parents, Jerry and Betty. Pray that God wraps His arms around them and wipes the tears from their eyes.

Go to the Prayer Hubs and join the prayer chain for this hurting family.

Come to the table

Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Isaiah 55:1-2 KJV

All my adult life, I've gone to churches that have some pretty active services, to say the least. We clap, shout, raise our hands to the Lord, and testify. In some services we ahve people running around the church. All this in praise to God. Nothing wrong with that. Would you rather be in a service where things are all laid out and orderly? Nothing wrong with that either.

I have been in services where people have been all active around me, praising God, shouting, hugging each other, and I am not feeling a thing. I am going through some struggle and nobody knows. I'm not doing anything about it either. The next service the song leader gets up and says "I'm still feasting from the last service." I left starving, but it was my own fault. I didn't feast, but I also didn't come to the table.

As the scripture states all God offers for us to feast on is free. All we have to do is come and dine. God has a big buffet table of blessings laid out for us to enjoy. It's all free.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.Psalm 23:5 KJV

A cloud of witnesses

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:1-2 KJV

I have been thinking about those who have gone on before us. This is something brought on by the passing of our dear friend, Suzanne Horne. I believe from email contact and some things she wrote on her blog that she is in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ, and that I will see her some day.

I also believe that, according to the preceding scripture, that she is part of that cloud of witnesses the writer of Hebrews mentions in the scripture I put above.

There's a southern gospel song that says, "I've got more to go to Heaven for than I have yesterday." In the past several years I've lost many people-family, friends, and a former pastor. If the Lord doesn't come soon, I will lose more. those who have given their hearts to Christ will be among the cloud of witnesses. That cloud will also include, Abraham, Moses, and all the other saints mentioned in the preceeding chapter, Hebrews 11.

With that kind of audience, we need serve the Lord with all our beiong.

A Christmas Poem

This is the poem I wrote to read in church. Last night was our Food for Christmas singing and I felt led to finish this poem yesterday afternoon and read it last night.

Mary and Joseph, they came into town

The lack of room had caused them to frown

They finally found comfort inside a cave

Not made for man, but protection it gave

They came into town for Caesar to tax

Decree for a census, he wanted his facts

Not knowing that he was a part of God's plan

God's plan to bring salvation to sinful man

The Virgin Mary, she was so great with child

Not being protected from all of the wild

God provided protection for them on that day

And provided a bed that was made out of hay

The angels that night would all start to sing

Born in the hay that night was a king

Forgiveness from sin, this child He would bring

Take away from believers, death's awful sting

This was God's present to all of this Earth

The present was wrapped up in this child's birth

This child would come here to pay for our sins

And when you accept that your story begins

God's Ultimate Gift

People are running to and fro
Shopping for gifts, the stores they will go
Showing their loved ones how much they do care
But I know of a gift, one that you can't compare

Up on Black Friday all too early
To be with some people all too surly
In the stores they push and they shove
To get things to show their love

God came from Heaven above
To show all of us His love
He came here to Earth
And had a simple birth

Was not early or late
He took on our fate
And was born here to die
For the sins of you and I

So when you give an you get
I hope you will not forget
The gift that comes from above
The gift the Lord gave of love

If My People

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14 KJV

Elections are past and soon we have new elected officials taking office. Some will be happy, others will find fault no matter what happens.

I have wondered often since 1980, when I gave my heart to the Lord, why do people who claim to be born again Christians always put more faith in a political party than God? If we were to plug into the power we have at our disposal, we could all make a difference.

Michael Card Wrote the song "Heal Our Land" for the National Day of Prayer several years ago. Below are the lyrics.

Forgive oh Lord - and heal our land
And give us eyes to seek your face - and hearts to understand
That you alone - make all things new
And the blessing of the land we love - are really gifts from you

Refrain:
If my people - Will humbly pray
And seek my face and turn away - From all their wicked ways
Then I will hear them - And move my hand
And freely then will I forgive - and I will heal their land.

Unite our hearts - in one accord
And make us hungry for your peace - and burdened for the poor
And  grant us hope - that we might see
The future for the land we love - our life, our liberty

Pray for those in authority

The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. This is the way our Savior God wants us to live.

1Timothy 2:1-3 The Message

By now, we all know the next president of the United States will be Barack Obama. Whether or not you voted for him, our command from the Bible is to now pray for him. If as Americans, we pray for our leaders, we can help cause change.