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I want to tell
you about a Worship service I went to this morning,
and invite you to drop in sometime. I believe
you will be blessed - I believe this is a blessed
true church. I wrote this on
www.ShepherdsFold.net, but I wanted to put it
here also, to ensure everyone would see it.
I attended a powerful worship
service today. The message seemed to be for me. The message seemed to
speak of our trials and troubles. The message spoke of our unspoken dreams
and of missions put in our heart by God. The messenger spoke of 2 altar
calls this morning. One for the person who is feeling lost, feeling
besieged. Perhaps a person that has gotten mired under by the world,
perhaps by their own actions. To a person who has relied on themselves,
more than on God. One who has followed his own wisdom, his own way, no
matter how well intentioned, and now is besieged and all seems overwhelming.
Or perhaps to one whom perhaps a family member has gone into utter rebellion, or
perhaps a person who has lost a close friend. Perhaps to one who sees no
way out of the mess they've somehow managed to get their lives in. Perhaps
a flawed person, who has made mistakes or just plain done things that were not
God's will. Or perhaps someone who's tried their best, but have tried to
do it on his/her own, without looking for God's Wisdom first, someone who leans
on their own understanding. But God can get you out of any hole, any
situation. But first, you must humble yourself and turn to him. If
you've never accepted his Grace through his Son, Jesus Christ, then you must
humble yourself and acknowledge your sin, repent of it, and accept the gift that
is Jesus Christ. If you have, but have fallen away, or perhaps not fallen
away, but just forgotten that first love in all the day to day living, then put
your face on the ground and humble yourself before God. Ask for his help,
his mercy, his wisdom. Ask for his will, ask him to show you, ask him to
help you, ask him to teach you, ask him to change your heart.
The second altar call was for
the person who has a dream, perhaps placed in their heart by God, but sees no
way they can accomplish it. The odds seem overwhelming, numerous obstacles
stand in the way. There's not enough money to even get the dream started.
No building, no advertising, no startup money. Just no reasonable way to
make the dream a reality. Again, the answer is God, but you knew that,
didn't you? You see, if God put the dream in your heart, then really all
you have to do is act upon that will. Seek God's wisdom and his will,
because, if it is truly put in your heart by God, then it will come to pass.
It will be done. If God put it in you to accomplish, or even just start
something, then surely he can supply the means to accomplish it. If God
wants something accomplished and chooses to bless us by allowing us to be
involved in it, he doesn't do that without equipping us. And the equipment
we really need isn't money or a building or transportation. And the
obstacles we face aren't of a physical nature either. It's a question of
faith. Equipped with faith, the rest will come. God's plans
will come to pass. As people, as Christians, we get confused, we think
short-term. We must, I must, remember that God is in control, always has
been, always will.
I want to acknowledge that I
went to both altar calls, they both applied to me. I have certainly sinned
and fallen short of the glory of God. I have had an appalling lack of
faith in the dream that I believe God put in my heart. I have been guilty
of trying to do things my way, and getting discouraged at the lack of progress.
I look back over my life and I have to ask myself if perhaps everything that has
happened to me is God trying to get me to just have faith in him? In his
Son's sacrifice? My friends, I have, and my family, are going through a
tremendously tough time. A time in which I have saw no way out.
Circumstances, brought on partly by my own actions, and partly by those that are
extremely unhappy people, who would stamp out any good and hope, perhaps people
that have grown to hate themselves so much that they can't forgive themselves
and they just can't believe that God could either. Well, I've been on that
side of it too, where I've hated myself, my own sin so much, and I've wondered
how could God forgive that, cause, let's face it, compared to Jesus, we just
don't stack up that well, if judged on our own actions, our own merit. But
I'm still learning, ( it's an ongoing work in progress,) that forgiveness is
there. God loves us so much, I certainly can't comprehend it, but I know I
want to be a part of it. I don't deserve anything God gives me, but he
offers it for His holy name's sake, and because he loves me. I don't
believe God's plan is for us to live in self-hatred all our lives, I believe he
wants us to grow into what he would have us to be. We, I, must learn to
trust in him, and to obey him. Because I love him. And I love Jesus.
And I may not be worthy, but I am loved. I am loved by God. I pray
for wisdom, and I pray for the ability to Love my brother, as God would have me
do.
Anyway....
For those of you looking for
a very good, Christian church, please consider Shepherds' Fold, Church of God.
This small church, about a mile South of Neelyville on 142, is composed of some
of the most sincere and dedicated Christian's I've ever had the pleasure to be
associated with. The church went through some rough times, as the devil
threw obstacle after obstacle in their paths, but they have persevered. It
is my opinion that God has blessed these people mightily for their efforts.
I believe that in the world today there are people searching and praying for a
church that will teach and live the Word of God, that will teach of God's love
and salvation through Jesus Christ. If you are looking for this,
consider visiting this church. May God Bless this congregation.
I would say I got something
out of the Worship Service, wouldn't you
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