Monday, November 19, 2007

Making Others Thankful

Last year I blogged about thanksliving and how we should all live our lives thankfully. This year I want to take the attention off of our thankfulness. Not that we shouldn't be thankful or notice our blessings, but we need to focus on other people and their lack of thankfulness. We should take the time to be the avenue in which someone is thankful. We should cause others to say I am thankful on this Thanksgiving because God brought you in my life. No only giving to charities and food baskets etc that are popular during the holidays but stopping to listen, sharing a Bible verse that you know has helped you. Praying for others. This Thanksgiving let's be thankful for helping to make others thankful.

Sunday, November 11, 2007

My Place/Our Place in this World

Pastor Scott Schilder of New Life Christian Church was talking about people's place in this world and how we all have a place that God has for us. This got me thinking about me always knowing my place and purpose. Seriously, as a young child probably 9 or 10 (I became saved and baptized at 8) God sent me a very real vision of me writing and teaching other kids the Word of God. Being so young at first I didn't quite grasp it and yet I did. I knew it was from God however I didn't know exactly what it was. For a time I wanted to become a teacher and a singer and then it evolved into a writer. (But this whole time I always had a love for writing and kept journals, diaries etc.) Knowing your purpose early is a good thing but at the same time it's harder then those who have a hard time finding their purpose because you are filled with impatience and eagerness as you continue wonder when God, when will this happen for me? A couple of years ago I had another vision where God when into specifics with me about exactly what he wanted to happen in my life but He also made it clear to me that I will hinder this manifesting in my life or at least the good timing of it if I didn't get control of my flesh, my emotions and grow more in Him. I had found myself making the same mistakes, lashing out angrily and becoming depressed at every pitfall in my life. My vision was that I was going to publish this young adult book and that I was also going to publish this blog and my ministry is going to jump from there. That book wasn't even written at that time but I am happy to say it is finished and in the process of finding publishers and I have a great peace about it. In the mean time I have been finding myself drawing closer to God and turning to prayer everytime something upsets me in anyway and I find myself stronger and my life better from it.

Anyway the Pastor made some very good clear points today about everyone finding their place and he cited in Genesis 2:8 how God prepared the place before he puts man in it. Just as he fashioned this world before placing man in it. and that He knows that you have a place but you are not in it yet until it's fully prepared and your fully prepared to receive it. How can you be prepared to receive it? Hebrews 11:8 Obedience will bring you to your place. Genesis 22:3,9,14 Passing God's tests will bring you to your place. The closer you get to reaching your place the more trials and tests you will have. This isn't punishment from God but a way for Him to see that you have learned from the Word and What He has spoke into your life and that you are ready to move on. And finally Pastor Schilder had this great quote I think we all should remember when trying to find out purpose: "Walk the path of faith to find the place of promise."

Tuesday, November 06, 2007

Saturday, November 03, 2007

I am on the Threshing Floor

There are various scriptures in the NIV Bible that talks about the threshing floor, After the harvest the wheat would be gathered and placed upon the “threshing floor,” a floor of stones set into the earth on a hilltop. It was then beaten or trampled to remove the grain from the rest of the plant. The wheat was then tossed repeatedly into the air and the wind would drive away the “chaff” while the grain would fall back upon the threshing floor to be gathered for use.

While studying the Bible I saw how in 2 Samuel 24:16 "When the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the LORD was grieved because of the calamity and said to the angel who was afflicting the people, "Enough! Withdraw your hand." The angel of the LORD was then at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite." I am enduring my attacks right now. I am being beaten and trampled in my job (the writing part is great but I also have to sell advertising and I am having such a hard time) my marriage (my husband lately has seen to be pulling further away from me) and our finances (my husband just lost his job.) However I also can say that I am at the closest to God I have ever been. I have been hungering and thirsting for righteousness so much lately and I have been sowing seeds of love, forgiveness and always making sure to tithe even when my checks are at the lowest. Last night and this morning I was just giving my sorrows over to the Lord and praying my hardest and reading the Bible and God showed me how I was on the threshing floor. My "grain" is being pulled out and I just have to endure this.
2 Samuel 24:18 David Builds an Altar ] On that day Gad went to David and said to him, "Go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite." David built an altar to God on the threshing floor and Ruth made a request to Boaz by laying by his feet on the threshing floor. Ruth 3:2-4 "Is not Boaz, with whose servant girls you have been, a kinsman of ours? Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. Wash and perfume yourself, and put on your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don't let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do."

I am laying before the feet of my God now on the threshing floor. I have joy despite all that's going on around me because I know that through all of this blessings will manifest in my life.