All Saints' Day

Traditionally in the church year the day after Halloween is called All Saints' Day. It is a day to remember those that have gone before us to live in Heaven. A friend of mine told me that at her church they read the names of those that passed in the during the past year and then ring the church bell for each name. I like that idea.

This morning I got to thinking about people in my life that have passed who I would consider saints on earth during their lives. My Mom was one of those people. She had a good heart. She was always helping someone. She taught me the importance of the power of prayer.

Then there was my Aunt Virginia. She always said to never give up in prayer. She would pray often for those that she knew who needed to get saved until they did. I was one of those such people. She was such a loving person.

I could think of others too who lived a life of a saint on earth. All have had an impact on my life. They have in some way shaped me into the Christian that I am today.

Who has shaped your Christian walk? Think about them on this All Saints' Day and thank God for them.

War Room

Last night some of us from my church went to see the movie War Room. If you have not seen this movie yer I highly recommend that you see it. The main focus of the movie is about the power of prayer. In the movie it talks about how we should use prayer in the right way to fight the battles in our lives. 

I never had ever thought about how I pray before. This movie made me reexamine my prayer life. I want to be on fire in my prayer life. I don't want to be cold in it.I want to see more results from my prayers than ever before.

In the move Ms. Clara has what she calls a War Room. That is a room in her house where she goes to pray. At the end of the movie it is said that her praying is baked into that room. I would love to have a prayer room of my own. 

Prayer is a powerful weapon if used in the right way. When we pray we need to plead with God, tell him what is on our hearts, and then stand back so that the can do what only he can do. Then we will begin to see results.

Check out War Room. It is an awesome movie. You are going to love it.   

We are all in this together

     Sometimes I have to wonder what would make someone want to have sole control over a church. I was told years ago that the church was God's and that everyone had a right to it. Yes that is true. But, in some churches today you will find that there is that one person that has to be in control. They have to have their way about everything or they are just not happy. That is very sad.
    People fail to realize that in order for the church to survive and work that everyone needs to work together. That everyone must be given a part to play in the life of the church. If this does not happen then the church in the end will die out. That is a sad fact that keep growing.
     It is sad that in a lot of churches that there are no young people to keep the church going. Older members are set in their ways and want only to do things the way that they have always been done. Keeping things the same is not going to work anymore. Times are changing in the life of the church and people need to get with it.
    I grew up in the Presbyterian Church. They had stricked rules about how things were to be done. These rules are what is hurting the growth of the church. Rules are great and serve a purpose. But, there are times when rules can get out of hand.
    One of the things that is hurting my church is that more effort is put into making sure that we have a Sermon or Message each week than getting people to Sunday School. It is seen as proper for members to not come to Sunday School. Sunday School is where you really get into learning the bible. You get to study the word and get to dig deeper into what God has to say. Worship is great if it is true worship. Some people just go through the motions when they come to church.
     I use to attend (for a short time) an Assembly of God church. One of the things that I liked about it was the fact that they had what they called Praise and Worship time. That was a time were they sang modern Christian songs. Really got into it. They also had a time in the service that if you were in need of prayer that you could come to the front of the church and someone would come up and pray for you.
     Another thing that I took note of is that they didn't always have a pastor give the message. Sometimes it would be members of the congregation who spoke. Also sometimes they would have guest speakers come and give the message. Above all they worked together as a congregation. If congregations worked together then they would see more growth. The community around them would accept them.
    We are all in this together. Keep that thought in mind when you are doing your church work and things will all work out for the best. The church will grow and good things will happen.

Church Burnout

Recently a lady in my church was complaing that she was overwhelmed by all the things that she "had" to do at church and that she just could not do one more thing. The suggestion was made that she give up some of the things that she "had" to do. This lady refused to do, but till maintained that she could not take on more jobs at church.

When people feel the need to be in charge at church the end result is burnout. They get to the point to where they feel that they just can't do one more thing. However, they feel that they have to still be in charge or things will fall apart.

Soon resentment sets in. People begin to resent this person. They begin to question why this person does what they do. They begin to question why things have to be the way this person wants. In the end all this begins to pull the church apart.

THE ROAD TO BURNOUT

• Over-commitment (always in motion);
• Inadequate breaks and rest (continuous ministry involvement);
• Idealistic standards;
• Constant low-grade stress (occasionally interrupted by crisis!)
• Lack of help and assistance;
• Chronic fatigue from pushing oneself ("hitting the wall");
• Strong sense of responsibility, even when others "dropped the ball";
• Guilty feelings about missing church events/activities;
• Heavy job and family responsibilities/expectations;
• Inability (or strong reluctance) to say no.

BURNOUT REALITY ORIENTATION

Burnout happens to nice guys--to the dedicated, loyal, idealist church member who wants to make a difference. That’s the problem: this all-out commitment drives some Christians to take on too much, too soon, too often. They overlook their heavy non-church responsibilities at home and on the job.
Constant challenge and activity carries stress in its wake--"getting up" for ministry activity, putting out brush fires, coping with diverse personalities, making do with scarce resources. And don’t forget the strings attached to becoming a ministry leader: visitation, showing up every time the church doors are open, maintaining an exemplary witness at all times, attending (seemingly endless) meetings.
Sometimes the pastor and staff get a bit out of touch with grass roots volunteer busyness. They’re so busy (and under-appreciated) themselves, chronic over-commitment is simply a way of life. The idling majority of the congregation conveniently assumes that "everything is running smoothly, so our help isn’t really needed." Others, not so naïve, know the tremendous sacrifice required of ministry involvement and want no part of it.

A STRATEGY FOR AVOIDING BURNOUT

It’s easier to avoid burnout in the first place than it is to overcome it. Here are 10 do-able strategies for escaping its clutches:

• Rest, relax, recreate, renew. It’s God’s way of sustaining us for the long haul.
• Pray for your ministry responsibilities. Let God perform the work, using His infinite strength and perfect wisdom.
• Give something up before taking on a new commitment or responsibility. Don’t keep "adding floors" onto your already towering skyscraper of activities.
• Learn to say no and to set up reasonable boundaries around your involvement. Specify the help you’ll need and the constraints on your time.
• Set priorities and consult with your family. Church work occupies an essential role in our lives but must never take priority over family. Look for ways to team up with your spouse in ministry activities. Be willing to occasionally say no to low priority church activities when they conflict with quality family time.
• Get away from it all on a regular basis through hobbies, recreation, short-ministry "sabbaticals," and sometimes just being a couch potato.
• Listen to your body's stress warning signals, such as headaches, backaches, dizziness, insomnia, and unexplainable fatigue.
• Cut out the hurry and worry. Stress is the natural byproduct of trying to stuff 10 pounds of potatoes into a 5 pound bag. Do only what you reasonably can in the time available and with the resources available.
• Keep those to whom you relate informed of your changing commitments and priorities. Stay away from guilt trips.
• Emphasize grace over works. We don’t earn God’s blessings by the amount of church work we do. He wants us to lead healthy, balanced lives where ministry service is a joy and source of deep personal fulfillment. In the absence of such joy, ministry turns into burden and burnout.

Jesus knew of the burden of burnout. His words in Matthew 11:20, 30 are extremely comforting: "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

 

So to avoid church burnout you one thing to do is delegate. Don't insist on being in charge of everything at church. Let other people take over. Don't insist on being at church every time the doors are open. Take a break from church. No, you are not a bad Christian for doing this  No, you will not go to hell for not coming to church all the time.

 

Take time for yourself to relax and recharge. It will not happen overnight. It will take time, but in the end it will be worth it. Take time to pray. See what God wants you to do in regard to the church. He has a plan for you. You just have to open your heart and listen for God to speak.

 

Let others have a turn. Give up some of your jobs at church to others in the church. Don't do the jobs all yourself all the time. You need to let others in the church do some of the jobs. Don't just delegate the jobs to your friends and people that will do what you want. Ask for volunteers and let people sign up for jobs.

 

Don't make sure that there is something going on at church every night of the week. Doing that will lead to others being burned out at church too. Resentment will arise and in the end the church will close. Think of others first over self.

 

Following these guidelines will prevent burnout and help your church be active in the community for years to come.

Control Freeks In Church

 

It seems like in churches today that there are at least one person who feels the need to control what goes on at church. They control everything down to what the Preacher's sermon is about on Sunday. They are happy, but then in ends up that the members of the church resent them for being in control.

 

 

Having one person in control of the church is not a good thing. It is a bad thing. It causes problems and in the end closes the church down. You have to find a way to deal with those people who feel the need to be in control of everything.

 

What can you do? Rebel is on thing. Don't follow the norm when it comes to people like this. You don't need to be a sheep. You need to stand up for yourself. Do what you think is right. You will feel better for it.

 

Pray about what is going on. Let God know how you feel about the situation and ask him to help you deal with it in the right way. That way you don't make a fool out of yourself.

 

Sometimes people like this can get out of control very quickly. That only leads to trouble. Which in the end is the downfall of the church.

 

If you are a true Christian you will know who these people are. God will show you. In my case he did. He gave me a sign that I will to this day never forget.

 

Guard your heart and mind when it comes to these people. They will try to lead you astray. They will take you way from the true purpose of being a Christian. They will try to tell you things that are found in the word of God that really are not. Don't get pulled in to their lies. You will end up regretting it in the end.

 

So in a case like this when people want to take over the church you have to pray about it and sometimes let it take its course. Eventually people in the church will have their fill of this person and stand up for what is right. Time will tell. If others in the church don't get tired of this then you have to ask God for help.

 

It will all work out in the end.

 

 



Wicked Women of the Bible....Chapter 2: Wicked Old...The Story of Sarah...How a Ninety-Year-Old Got Pregnant and Set Tongues Wagging

This is the second chapter in Wicked Women. This chapter focuses on Sarah. The chapter beings to talk about how Abraham is almost 100 years old and Sarah is not far behind him. As the chapter begins Sarah is pregnant. That is something that was highly unlikely given both of their ages.

Hagar, Sarah's servant had tried to cause trouble. She claimed that Sarah had cheated on Abraham which in turned caused God to render Sarah barren. However, Hagar didn't have the whole story. Abraham had asked Sarah to tell a lie to save them. He was protecting them both. She had to tell the Egyptians that she was Abraham's sister lest they kill him to try to get to her.

Abraham's worst fears came to light. Pharaoh heard of Sarah's beauty and had to have her for his own. After showing Abraham with gifts of which Hagar was one, clueless Pharaoh added Sarah to his harem. Before visiting Pharaoh's bedchamber, Sarah had to look the part. That was to be transformed into an Egyptian beauty.

Then something terrible happened. A plague descended. It ravished Pharaoh's household, leaving only Sarah untouched. The stench covered every corner of Pharaoh's house. When Pharaoh finally rose from his sickbed he asked Abraham "What have you done to me?" Why didn't you tell me Sarah was your wife?" "You pretended she was your sister. Now your God has cursed me. Take her and go."

They gathered their things, including Hagar, and headed out of Egypt. Soon after Sarah asked Hagar to sleep with Abraham in the hopes of giving him an heir. Hagar was young and eager to please. Once Hagar began to swell with life she began to feel as though she was the favored wife. This made Sarah hate her.

Sarah began to make Hagar's life a living hell. Sarah lives in the confidence that she is first in Abraham's heart. Soon she realizes that she is first in God's heart too when her belly begins to swell with a child. She is amused at all the speculation.

Soon Sarah has a child. It is when Isaac is 3 years old that Abraham turns Hagar and Ishmael away. They go out into the wilderness where Ishmael grows into a "wild donkey of a man."

Sarah never knows of the day when Abraham takes Isaac to be sacrificed. She dies at age 127 not knowing of the glories and the troubles that lie ahead for the descendants of Abraham's two sons.

God spoke his promise that he would make the decedents of Abraham and Sarah into a great nation far in advance to prepare them for what was to come. By having Abraham sleep with Hagar, Sarah was trying to force God's hand.

We too at times try to force God's hand. We think that we know better than God. We loose sight of what is really important. That is to let God's will be done in his own time.

We need to let God's will be done and not or own.

Bible Journaling

 

 

 

I love to read the bible and I in fact own several different versions of the bible, about 10 in all. One of my favorite bibles is the one that belonged to my Great-Uncle Ed. In it is hand written notes of his on all the pages. At first I was appalled that someone would write in their bible like that. That is because I was raised with the belief that your bible was sacred and that you didn't write in it. Then I thought how neat this was.

Recently I discovered Bible Journaling. This is a whole new way to make your bible your own. It involves writing and drawing in the margins of the bible. I was taken in b the beautiful art work that some had put in their bibles. It looks like they had taken time to make something very meaningful on the pages.

Before you get started you will need to gather your supplies. Here are some suggestions of what to get.

ESV Single Column Journaling Bible
Liquid Color Pens
Bic Stick Grip Pens
Bic Mechanical Pencils
Twistable Crayons
Twistable Colored Pencils
Washi Tape
Washi Tape
Rub-Ons
Letter Stickers
Stickers and Embelishments
Stamps and Ink Pads
Distressed Ink
Stamps
Clips
Hero Hues

As you do your journaling you will find other items that you will want to use. I have even saw were people use water color paints. Bible Journaling is all about self expression. It is all up to you.

As far as the bible goes it is best to use a single column bible. This type of bible has wide margins so that you can do your journaling easy. As you read a passage of scripture you need to think about what it means to you and that will help inspire you about what to journal.

If you love to read and study the bible then you will love to journal in your bible. This will be something that you will cherish and share with generations to come.