Sorry for no posts for a while, but I was on a mission trip in Haiti and we had no internet. What a blessing! One of the things we did was lay the foundation for a new church building. While I was out there pouring cement, a five gallon bucket at a time, so many parallels came to mind about laying a foundation for the church, on stony ground, with thorn bushes here and there, the hot sun beating on us, but God is in control and Christ is our true foundation, the chief cornerstone. The church service we had was wonderful, 41 people and 25 of them children. Although it was in Creole, we had one universal language and that was our love and faith in Jesus Christ. The people here were very passionate in their worship and with things like voodoo in this land, their faith (as well as spiritual battles) is very real. Continue reading “What is Your Foundation?”
Category: church
Pray for Others
Ezekiel 22:30
So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.
God wants us to be intercessors. To stand in the gap. A city fortified by a wall has a sense of security and protection. But, if there is a breach, a gap, it becomes vulnerable. We too have vulnerabilities. The devil looks for these gaps to attack us. It may be a weakness, a relationship (a bad one, tension within one, heartache), struggles at work, home, church, health, finances, decisions, feeling guilty or pride, lack of confidence, being complacent or rebellious, sin in your life, and the list goes on. Do not be afraid to share that vulnerability with someone. You don’t have to go through it alone. Also, seek those who are struggling and pray for them.
Praying Together
One thing I notice lacking in churches is togetherness and prayer. Sure, there may be some fellowship, “meet and greet” time, potlucks and things like that, but do we get together and really get to know each other? Do we get together and pray? Do we pray for each other? Do we know each other enough to know what to pray for? Not just the superficial stuff like health and “travel mercies,” but also the intimate stuff, the spiritual needs, the struggles, the battles we go through in life.
I’ve always been an advocate of small groups, where we can gather together in homes and get to know one another, studying God’s word and praying for one another. It is also a time to seek and give godly advice and encouraging one another. We as a church need to be more than just a gathering on Sundays (or Saturdays), but we need to be more like a family, with unity, really, truly caring for one another and loving one another and not just one or two days a week but throughout the week. We as a church need to intercede for those outside of the church, that they would receive knowledge of Jesus Christ and believe the truth. We need to pray for the leaders and people of this country, especially with all the division, hatred, name pointing, biased accusations and covering up truth and all that we see and hear. We need to gather and pray. Together. Continue reading “Praying Together”
Paul’s Prayers for Believers
Pauls’ epistles, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians are some of my favorite books in the Bible. There is so much here to learn from, about life and about Jesus Christ our Lord. Within them, he shares His love for the church and other believers, as we all ought to. He encourages them by telling them the that He prays for them and what He prays for. I try to pray for my family and my church for these as well, though not as often as I should. Of course, I try to stay away from ‘recited’ prayer, but I think using scripture within your prayer is good. As believers, we need to be intercessors for others. That is what Paul is doing in His letters. These intercessory prayers encourage and guide us in our prayer life and in our life. When I read them, I also feel He was praying these prayers for all of us.
When Jesus Comes…Our Victory
In the final post of our series on Jesus’ Return, we will talk about our victory in Jesus. This will encourage all believers who know the truth and have a saving relationship with Jesus Christ our Lord. To Him be the glory! One day, we will be with Him in heaven, and will inherit eternal life, where there will be no more pain or sadness or death. He will make all things new and we will claim our victory, which is in the blood of Christ, who gave His life for the redemption of our sins. Continue reading “When Jesus Comes…Our Victory”