1/5/2021

 The ending of a prayer by an ordained minister should have enraged the American people, but alas welcome to 2021! I grew up in a time when preachers preached that Hell was real and you didn't want to go there. It may be time for us to "get woke"!

Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver from Missouri opened the 117th Congress in prayer yesterday, but he closed his prayer by saying, “Amen and a-woman.” I suppose he was trying to use this time of prayer to make a political statement about equality or gender issues that are on the table. Sadly, this is where we are today. Not a great start for 2021. The word “Amen” simply means “So be it,” and that’s why it is said at the end of prayers. It has nothing to do with gender. Regrettably, even prayer is no longer sacred to some in our halls of Congress. One thing is obvious—we need more of it. Amen!”

— Franklin Graham

As a young girl I saw a Billy Graham film that has haunted me for years. In the movie the Rapture has occurred and the girl makes her way back to her church. She walks in and the preacher is crying at a long table with a Bible open. She looks at him and asked, "Why didn't you tell us?" He answers, "I didn't believe it was true!" One of the most powerful scenes in a movie I've ever seen, and here we are living it! I can't tell you how many times of late things have been said by "church" folk that scare me, because the words indicate they have no idea what the Gospel is.

Galatians 6:7 says, "Do not be deceived God will not be mocked."

1/4/2021

 Right now in this political culture we have two choices...trust God or worry. I am a leaky vessel and vacillate between the two in spite of my best efforts. Therefore, at this time in history, I'm constantly leaning on God. Socialism and its ramifications scare me! There are many Christians that rely on the belief that God will just rapture his church when things get bad and we won't suffer, BUT what if God allows us to suffer. He has allowed many to suffer in the past, take Bonhoeffer as an example. So the answer needs to be that no matter what happens in this country, tomorrow or 10 years from now, may God give me the strength to stand with and for Him.

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1/3/2021

 One thing through this season of life I've noticed in my circle is an underlying fear of Covid. As Christian's perhaps we have fallen for the belief that if I do all these things (go to church, pray, help the homeless, etc...) God will bless me abundantly. We fail to look at Hebrews 11, we fail to remember the fate of the disciples (except for John who was just exiled), read Foxe's Book of Martyrs, or look up the life of John and Betty Stam. Yet, God told us we would face trials and tribulations in this world, BUT fear not He overcame this world. My grandmother used to say, "Why not us?" when trials came our way. She also said, "Where are we going to go but to the Lord?" She was so wise!

Bonhoeffer said, "In our meditation we ponder the chosen text on the strength of the promise that it has something utterly personal to say to us for this day and for our Christian life, that it is not only God’s word for the Church, but also God’s word for us individually. We expose ourselves to the specific word until it addresses us personally. And when we do this, we are doing no more than the simplest, untutored Christian does every day; we read God’s word as God’s word for us."*

Today remember these are God's promises to us...today.

Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. God Is in the Manger (p. 85). Presbyterian Publishing Corporation. Kindle Edition. *

14Melissa Jones, Amanda Reimold and 12 others

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1/2/2021

 I started my day with the Bonhoeffer devotional and found myself drawn to this quote, "What is happiness and unhappiness? It depends so little on the circumstances; it depends really only on that which is happening inside a person." (Bonhoeffer) Of course Bonhoeffer is writing from a jail cell. In Philippians 4 Paul said he had learned to be content regardless his circumstances.

So as I'm pondering this God called to mind an Elizabeth Elliott quote on happiness. In searching for it I found this jewel, “Very often (nearly always, I'm afraid) when I come to church my feelings are uppermost in my mind. This is natural. We are human, we are "selves," and it takes no effort at all to feel. But worship is not feeling. Worship is not an experience. Worship is an act, and this takes discipline. We are to worship "in spirit and in truth." Never mind about the feelings. We are to worship in spite of them. Finding myself scattered in all directions and in need of corralling like so many skittish calves, I kneel before the service begins and ask to be delivered from a vague preoccupation with myself and my own concerns and to be turned, during this short hour, to God.”

This made me ponder something, many times I hear people gripe about sermons, music, etc... Yet, happiness or worship are not feelings that come from our outside circumstances they are literally acts and take discipline to achieve. Let us then, like Isaiah says, "Seek Him while he may be found..." Because true happiness and true worship are from God.

15Kimberly Jeremy Hamby, Genie Adams and 13 others

1/1/2021

Hello 2021! My devotion this morning started with an Alice quote in Bonhoeffer's book. The pathway to hell is paved with good intentions. This is apparently a widespread saying even among German theologians, which means only God can control our lives.

But these words from 1944 are so pertinent today: "If we survive during the coming weeks or months, we shall be able to see quite clearly that all has turned out for the best. The idea that we could have avoided many of life's difficulties if we has taken things more cautiously is too foolish to be entertained at the moment."

14Keri Stanley Reasoner, Carol Carleton and 12 others

Day 21

 As I move into Day 21 several things have happened that I know came from the hand of God.

1.  I had told God that if he wanted me in a classroom he would need to have Piedmont call me on the phone and offer me a job teaching English. They did.

2.  Dan has been given paths to new ministry.

3. Dan read about a how to reach church members and it focused on going to the same restaurant and eating everyday. I did not know, but picked the same restaurant 2 days in a roll and sure enough met several church members.

4. God has given me multiple opportunities to pray and minister to others this month.

Prayer Day 1

 Today, I start a new Bible study, The 28-day Prayer Journey:  A Daily Guide to Conversations With God.

After praying this morning God brings to Dan's mind that if we are totally dependent on Christ. What if we faced each day as if it were our last.

Then I read this from Ann VosKamp:

Before the week gets loud: The art & work of Loving matters more than any work lists. It's the art of loving that will be the one great work of your life.

"Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other." John 13:14

Loving people without expecting anything in return always turns out to have the greatest returns.

Oh dear friend, if we approached today as it says in 1 Peter 4:8, "Above all, love one another deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins."

Make each day count.