You are not alone

Have you ever been so tired that you just wanted to die? Recently I've had a number of days when exhaustion has taken its toll on me. On Aug. 19 I was experiencing extreme exhaustion and opened my Bible to find out what God's word says about being weary.

In reading 1 Kings 19:1-19 I found out that Elijah the prophet experienced exhaustion. He had just slain hundreds of prophets of Baal and proven the power and might of God to the people of Israel. When Jezebel heard what he had done, she vowed to kill him.

Here was a man of God, whose faith was unwavering in the face of danger - yet he began running for his life at her threat. Why? He was exhausted from his ministry. 

After going a day's journey into the desert alone he sat down under a broom tree and prayed that he might die.

"I have had enough, Lord," he said. "Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors." Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep.

All at once an angel touched him and said, "Get up and eat." He looked around and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. 1 Kings 19:4-6

How often do we feel like Elijah? As Christians, it gets tiresome battling the demons of this world day after day. Some days we fight until we have no strength left. Maybe we're not physically killing the prophets of Baal, but there are forces of evil all around us that we have to contend with on a daily basis. 

Notice how Elijah spoke with the Lord. He was honest with Him and confessed his hopelessness in the situation. I guess to him it felt like all his hard work had been for nothing. 

I've felt that way at times. There have been many days when I tried my very best to be a reflection of Christ but it seemed as though I failed miserably. 

What did God do for Elijah when he cried out in frustration? He sent an angel to strengthen his physical body with food, but that wasn't all the Lord did for his servant Elijah.

The angel came back a second time and touched him and said, "Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you." So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled 40 days and 40 nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. There he went into a cave and spent the night. And the word of the Lord came to him: "What are you doing here, Elijah?" 1 Kings 19:10

When we're tired and ready to throw in the towel, we can look at Elijah as our mentor. Just eating the food offered to him gave him the strength to travel for 40 days and 40 nights. His journey wasn't over once he was strengthened, it was only beginning. As we read the word of God and continue on our journey with God we may find ourselves in a place near to the heart of God, but we may not get to rest until we arrive there. 

Elijah told the Lord that he had been zealous for God. He lamented that the Israelites had rejected God's covenant, broken down God's altars and put God's prophets to death.

"I'm the only one left and now they are trying to kill me, too," said Elijah.

Do you ever feel like you're the only one being obedient to God? Does it ever seem to you that you're facing life's problems alone? Take heart ...God hears your cries for help, He knows what you need to regain your strength and if He has to, He'll send an angel to minister to your needs.

This next passage is one of my favorites, I hope you'll hear the voice of God like Elijah did as you read this.

The Lord said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by."

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" 1 Kings 19:11-13

Elijah repeated his lament from earlier and was reminded by God that there were 7,000 in Israel who had not bowed down to Baal. He was not alone. Not only was he not alone, but God was sending him to meet Elisha, who had been chosen by God to become his right-hand man. 

God knew that Elijah was disheartened, He knew that Elijah's faith was strong, but He also knew that Elijah was human and needed encouragement and someone to come along side him as a friend. God was not through with Elijah, even though Elijah thought he'd done all he could. 

As long as we are on this earth, there is work we can do for the Lord. When we feel exhausted, we can ask for His help. Just as God helped Elijah prepare for future ministry, He'll help us with our ministries. 

Listen for the gentle whisper and go forward in God's care and His grace. 

Fear the Lord

We live in fearful times. With an uncertain economic future, government upheavals, job losses, health issues and lack of medical care, it seems that each day there is more to be concerned about.

I opened my Bible to the concordance to find out what God's Word says about fear and I was surprised at what I discovered.

There are numerous references to the fact that we should fear God. After Moses was given the 10 commandments, God gave him warnings about the importance of keeping His commands. 

Moses told the people, "Fear the Lord your God, serve Him only and take your oaths in His name." Deuteronomy 6:13

Moses repeated that advice again in Deuteronomy 10:12-13. "And now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord's commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good."

Before Moses' death, he left the people with these words. "Assemble the people - men, women and children, and the aliens living in your towns - so they can listen and learn to fear the Lord your God and follow carefully all the words of this law." Deuteronomy 31:12

A fear of the God was needed to serve Him and from what Moses said, it wasn't something that was naturally ingrained in people, but something that was learned. The people needed to first hear the law or commandments and then they would learn to fear God.

As I think about those who are evil and shun God, I realize that most of them either have never heard God's commands or have made a conscious effort to defy those commands. Evil people have no fear of God, some do not believe that He exists and others don't believe that He is capable of harming them.

The word states that a fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. To fear the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, it adds length to life, it is the fountain of life, it teaches wisdom, it avoids evil, it leads to life, and it prompts us to hate evil.

In a nutshell, having a healthy fear of God is a wonderful thing. Isaiah 11:2-3 had this to say about the root of Jesse (which was a prophecy about the coming Messiah). "The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him - the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord - and he will delight in the fear of the Lord."

Yes, Jesus delighted in the fear of the Lord. He knew just how powerful, almighty, righteous and just the God of heaven and earth really is. He knew that to refuse to be obedient to God would be futile. 

God had a purpose and a plan for his life and it was necessary for the good of all mankind. 

Jesus spoke about this fear to a crowd of thousands in Luke's gospel. 

"I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him." Luke 12:4-5

I believe that if we have a healthy fear of God, our own fears will dissipate because our trust is in Him. 

Hear these words of comfort from the scriptures about our earthly fears:

Psalm 23:4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and staff they comfort me.

Psalm 27:1 The Lord is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid?

Psalm 91:5 You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. (This verse tells us that day or night, through terror, disease and famine - we, who have put our trust in the Lord, have nothing to fear).

God's word says that the fear of man is a snare, but that God is with us and He will deliver us from all our fears. 

When we give our hearts to God, we become His precious children and He will take care of us - it's as simple as that. Give your fears to God and let Him vindicate you.

I leave you with these words from 1 John 4:18. "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love."

God has so much love for you and I and He will drive away the fears because of that great love!

Kindred Spirits

A few weeks ago I wrote an article in The News Democrat (see http://newsdemocrat.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=133748&SectionID=30&SubSectionID=233&S=1) about the enjoyment I received while reading a well-worn, cover-torn novel called “Anne of Green Gables.” I’ve almost finished the last book in the series and it saddens me to think that it’s coming to an end.

One of the things that I like about the character, Anne, is that she finds “kindred spirits” wherever she goes. There are people who cross her path for a season and they become steadfast friends.
This week I lost one of those “kindred spirits” in my life. Marge Krody died on July 10 after a long battle with cancer.

Our paths first crossed years ago and they seemed to intersect off and on throughout the years.
Marge was an avid fan of “Anne of Green Gables” also. She made me “green” with envy a few years ago when she and her sisters took a trip to Prince Edward Island, Canada, to visit Green Gables, the legendary home of Anne. It may not sound like the ideal vacation spot to everyone, but she had a great time and said it was wonderful. Some day I’ll find out for myself, and when I go, I’ll visualize Marge at all the stops along the way.

Marge was also the wife of a pastor. Pastor Bill Krody ministered to the saints at Georgetown United Methodist Church for a number of years, filled in at Mt. Orab United Methodist and Bethel United Methodist, but that’s another story.

When I knew that my husband was going to pastor a small church, I asked advice from Marge. She was a shining example to me of what a pastor’s wife should be and I looked to her as my mentor. She was always honest and straight-forward and her Scottish accent was pleasant to the ear whether she was correcting and encouraging or offering advice and warnings.

As Marge valiantly faced chemotherapy, she was an inspiration to the folks around her. She and I weren’t what you would call close friends, but she was often in my thoughts and prayers during her illness. There was just something about our relationship that ran deep. She knew what I needed to hear and I could sense her needs.

Most of us have people in our lives who touch our hearts in a special way. Our lives seem forever intertwined with some folks whether we see them often, talk with them on a regular basis or rarely speak. Those people are “kindred spirits” and their friendship is not only valuable, but eternal.

When I think of Marge, I am reminded of Philippians 4:8-9, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me — put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”

As her family and friends say goodbye to her this week, our lives have been enriched because we knew her and our hope of eternal life is rekindled because of our desire to connect with her again.

She’s not the first “kindred spirit” that I’ve had to bid farewell and I still feel the connection between myself and those others who have shared their hearts with me. Sometimes I can hear their voices clearly telling me when I’ve goofed-up to watch my step. I can also hear them cheering me on when I’m on the right path. “Kindred spirits” remain with us through all the trials and victories that come our way. I hope you have a “kindred spirit” in your life.

Marsha Mundy is the news editor. Read her blog at marshamundy.blogspot.com.

Glorify and worship God by attending church

Statistics show that many people consider themselves Christians but have no desire to attend worship services on a regular basis. It is troubling to me that those who claim Jesus as their Lord and Savior cannot spend an hour in worship of Him on a weekly basis. 

Many churches have tried to keep up with the times by offering people contemporary services with less and less traditional worship and in that, some people have attended services who wouldn't ordinarily come. But it seems to me that people are missing the purpose of the "church." 

Church services were designed, not to please people, but to please our Creator. We are made in God's image and He has placed in each one of us a void which can only be filled with Him. That void can only be filled with worship of Him. 

It's a cop-out for people to say that they avoid church because it is filled with hypocrites. In my estimation, those who attend church regularly are there because they want to glorify God and they are being obedient servants.

When the early Christians were waiting anxiously for Christ's return, they met on a regular basis to fellowship, worship God and share the good news with one another. In the book of Hebrews, the writer addresses some concerns because some folks in the church seemed to think it unnecessary to meet. He reminded them of the sacrifice and Lordship of Jesus Christ and the importance of worship.

"Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, His body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Hebrews 10:19-25

It only hurts the "church" and those who are in need of encouragement when Christians fail to attend worship services. 

If I sound like I'm on my soap box, I guess it's because I am. For too many years, especially in the USA, too many people have wanted their names on church rolls, they want to get married in the church and they want a Christian burial, but other than showing up on Christmas and Easter, they never darken the doors of the sanctuary. 

Christians who fail to go to "church" have failed God. They have also failed their children, their fellow Christians and those who look at them as examples of Christianity. 

When I go to church on Sunday morning, I do it as an obligation to God. I'm not there to hear and critique the music or the preaching, I'm there to worship God – period. Over the years I've found that I can worship God in small congregations, in large congregations; whether singing contemporary music or traditional hymns; worship is an attitude of the heart and corporate worship is good for God to see and will uplift your heart because it affirms your beliefs and gives you an opportunity to share your heart with like-minded people.

If I've stepped on someone's toes with this message, then I guess you needed to have your toes stepped on! If I've enlightened you and placed a desire in you to attend worship services, then I'm overjoyed! God doesn't really ask much from those who believe in Christ Jesus, but He is worthy of worship; He is worthy of praise; He alone is worthy of an hour of your time each week. 

May the Lord bless all who attend church on a regular basis – may you continue to grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

Biblical teamwork

I have been thinking quite a bit about people working together as a team to accomplish a set goal. In my line of work, it's everyone working to put together a newspaper twice a week. It takes advertising people, graphic arts designers, writers, editors and finally the people who run the press to put all of the elements together for the finished product.

As I looked through my Bible this week, I noticed that there were many times that the people of God pulled together to complete a project. One of the most impressive, was when the tribes of Israel built the tabernacle according to the Lord's specifications. 

The Lord told Moses to have the people bring offerings of gold, silver and bronze; blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen; goat hair, ram skins dyed red and hides of sea cows; acacia wood; olive oil; spices; onyx stones and other gems. Then God instructed Moses exactly how the tabernacle should be built.

Craftsmen of all sorts were needed to complete the task. They had a goal to reach and with each one completing their own work, the tabernacle was complete.

Their team work wasn't finished though, because whenever the Lord said it was time to move on, each tribe was assigned a specific task to disassemble and carry the tabernacle to the new location. 

There were many instances of men working side by side through battles. Some were called to march into the war zone and others were needed to carry supplies, provide food, shelter and first aid for those who endured the battle.

Nehemiah enlisted the support of high priests and the remnants of the tribes of Israel to help reconstruct the wall of Jerusalem and erect the broken gates. Those men had to accomplish the task under threat of death. While some worked on the construction, others stood behind them with their weapons ready to defend their brothers. Both jobs were equally important to get the job done.

Jesus himself built a team of 12 hand-picked disciples to assist him in the work he was doing. There were times when jealousy and anger was evident within the group, but if the team hadn't done their assigned work, we wouldn't be followers of Christ today. 

The Apostle Paul never went on a mission alone, he always took others along with him for support and encouragement. He depended on the assistance of others as he fulfilled his mission from God.

We are created to share our talents and abilities for the good of others. One of the best illustrations of teamwork is Paul explaining to the Corinthian church that the foundation of the church is Christ. The teaching he (Paul) brought to the church added to the foundation and the teachings of Apollos added a different dimension. He also explained that the church is like one body with all the members adding their own special gifts to create a healthy church.

When everyone shares their gifts, whatever they may be, and they are used in conjunction with the gifts of others, we have created a tabernacle where the Almighty God is pleased to dwell.

If you don't know what your gifts might be, ask God to reveal them to you and guide you into ways in which to share what you have to offer. 

"The man who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building." 1 Corinthians 3:7-9

Heaven is for real!

This week a very learned man shared his opinion that there is no heaven. World renowned theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking claims that heaven is a fairy tale for people afraid of the dark. 

My first reaction to his claim was to pray for God to reveal Himself to Mr. Hawking and then scripture came to mind. 

The Apostle Paul told the church members in Corinth that the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. He then referred Christians to Isaiah 29:14 which reads, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent."

1 Corinthians 1:20-25 reads, "Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men."

Mr. Hawking isn't a believer but he is a very intelligent man. According to scripture, "the man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned." 1 Corinthians 2:14

Mr. Hawking is living proof that someone can be very intelligent and yet miss the whole point of eternity. How very sad that he believes that when he's dead–it's all over.

As Christians, we believe in eternal life because we believe that Jesus was truly the Messiah, that He made atonement for our sins when He died on the cross and that He was resurrected through the power of God's Holy Spirit. Jesus told us that He was going to prepare a place for us and that He would one day come back to take us there. That place is in heaven and the disciple John tries to describe it in the book of Revelation. I believe it defies description–John couldn't find the words to explain what heaven is like. 

Paul also said that God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty. 

Mr. Hawking may have been somewhat right about one thing without his really knowing it. He said that people who believe in heaven are afraid of the dark. Those who have the Spirit of God within them know that God is light and we will forever be in His light when we arrive in heaven. Scripture tells us that those who don't have God's Spirit are living in darkness. As believers, I suppose you could say we have a fear of the dark, but it's less of a fear and more of a desire to live in the light of God. Those who choose not to believe in God have no fear of the dark because they are already living there, they are comfortable where they are. They have nothing to compare the darkness to.

I may be foolish in the eyes of the world, but I truly believe in heaven and look forward to the day when I'll get to see the mansion that is being prepared for me. Paul put it best when he said, "Absent from the body, present with the Lord." Amen, brother Paul!

God is a faithful provider

A quick glimpse through the Bible is our assurance that God is a God who provides. His promises tell us that He will never leave us nor forsake us and that He will provide for His people.

In Genesis 22:8 Abraham reminds his son, Isaac, that God will provide the lamb for the burnt offering. Abraham was being obedient, he was willing to sacrifice his son because God had asked him. But Abraham knew God's character well enough to know that He was able to do the impossible. Isaac was born to Abraham and Sarah in their advanced years. Their son was the result of a fulfilled promise by God Almighty.

God did provide the lamb for the sacrifice and Isaac's life was spared because Abraham was obedient. His first priority was to God.

I have been out of work now for 13 months. During that time, God has provided for all our needs. We have not lost our home, we've never gone hungry, we've had shoes and clothing and we've always had enough to pay our bills. I've seen God's provision in my life on a daily basis. Although there have been days when I doubted if we would have enough, I've never stopped believing that God heard my prayers. Last week I was asked to return to a former job and I have accepted. God has provided this job for me and I give praise Him.

There are so many ways that God provides for us. We often think of provision in a monetary or physical sense, but the Bible teaches us that God provides redemption for His people. The precious blood of Jesus Christ has provided all we need to receive forgiveness of our sins and eternal life. 

God's grace provides a way for us to triumph over temptation and enables us to stand through the trials that we encounter. 

God's love for us provides us with more than enough love to pass along to others. 

The Jewish people have called God, Jehovah Jireh, the Lord will provide. 

If you have any doubts about God's provision, open your Bible to the following verses and fill your heart with His word about provision. Read Isaiah 43:20; Jonah 1:17, 4:6-8; 1 Timothy 6:17 and 1 Peter 4:11.

Think back over the past few months–how many times has Jehovah Jireh taken care of your needs? Praise Him for His mercy and great love.