How thankful I am for the opportunity to speak at Sciotoville Church of the Nazarene the past two Sundays. Thanks to those of you who prayed for me and for the services.
What a blessing it was for me to meet and worship with those fine folks. I came away strengthened in my spirit and encouraged in my soul. God helped us as we worshiped in song, and there was a strong desire on the part of his people just to praise and thank God for his blessings. I heard many wonderful testimonies as I waited to take my turn to preach.
God helped me as I preached from John 1.12-13: “To all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, children born not of natural descent nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” My topic was Children of God are born, not made. Though the visible “response” was not intense, there was a sense that God was planting seeds of truth in the hearts of many. And, I am thankful for the response of those who came to pray at the altar. God helped them in definite ways. Praise the Lord for his faithfulness!
Also, I want to thank God for the wonderful Sunday school class that Lana and I were in the past two weeks. Both lessons were just what I needed to hear. The teacher this past Sunday – Pastor Ed – reminded us that though we pray and God promises, there may be (may very well be!) a delay in the fulfillment of our prayers and God’s promises. This does not mean that our prayers are ineffective nor does it mean that God’s promises are not certain. It means simply that we don’t see all the particulars and the myriad connections that make up the will of God. As Pastor Ed taught, my mind went to a scripture that has been a refuge for my soul in the last year: “I am still confident of this – I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord” (Psalm 27.13-14). Lana and I are in a position of waiting, and I needed the reminder that came through the Spirit in class.
Lana and I are thankful for the Sciotoville Nazarenes who graciously welcomed us as guests in their services these past two weeks. And we are thankful for the small role that we were allowed to play in the ongoing fulfillment of God’s purposes for that congregation.
Have a great Tuesday! Oh, I heard something on the radio this past week about doing a little more exercise this week so you don’t gain the 2 pounds that are typical for Americans celebrating Thanksgiving. So maybe we should all just take a hike!
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