Housewifing

prayer

I went to my women's Bible study with my new friend, Karen.  She's my neighbor, and I got to know her this past summer, through 1 hour walks.  She's had a very full and colorful life so far.  She is intensely in love with Jesus.  She motivates everyone she is around.  She is a lamp and she reproduces.

We studied Hosea.  We have a mixed group.  Right now it's half baptist and half spirit-filled evangelicals.  It is pretty interesting.  Especially when different opinions differ about what people think Scripture says.  Our wise baptist leader says those are the times to let Scripture speak for itself.  It's interesting.  It's fun.  It's stimulating.

My mom needs prayer.  Pray for her to have confidence in what the Holy Spirit has fed her with thus far.  Pray for her pain from the intersticial cystitis to be healed.  She is going to an "emergency" appointment tomorrow because of the burning uncontrollable pain.  Pray for her husband's salvation and for him (Ron) to have compassion and strength in his support for her.

I feel it is important to take the opportunity to pray for others.  Even if that person is insignificant to you.  Some day we will need prayer.  And it might be the prayer that the one who judged us insignificant, that God turns His ear to.  And in the manner that we do to those insignificant to us; that     is      the manner that will be metted out to us.

5-minute Bible challenge

In Kidz Rock Pastor Chad gave us all a challenge.  For each kid to spend 5 minutes every day studying the Bible, just 2-3 Scriptures to really bite on and chew on.  He said that he promises that if we do this in 2-3 months God will do incredible things with us.  God wants us to be purposeful with out time.  He wants us to be wise:

"Look carefully then how you walk!  Live purposefully and worthily and accurately, not as the unwise and witless, but as wise (sensible, intelligent people),  Making the very most of the time [buying up each opportunity], because the days are evil.  Therefore do not be vague and thoughtless and foolish, but understanding and firmly grasping what the will of the Lord is. " (Ephesians 5:15-17)

Look up:

1.  IITimothy 3:15-16

2.  John 5:39

3.  Acts 17:11

Pastor Chad illustrated how we all spend careful time cleaning our bodies, primping to be beautiful or handsome.  And then turn around and spend no time with God.  No time cleaning and preparing ourselves for Him.  Jesus talked about that, but very sternly to the church teachers called the Pharisees.  Even though he is talking to the leaders that teach, but don't do what they teach, themselves (hypocrites), he means this warning to us, too.

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)!  For you clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but within they are full of extortion (prey, spoil, plunder) and grasping self-indulgence.  You blind Pharisee!  First clean the inside of the cup and of the plate, so that the outside may be clean also...Just so, you also outwardly seem to people to be just and upright but inside you are full of pretense and lawlessness and iniquity." (Matthew 23:25-28)  Do we want to be blind like the Pharisees.  Being clean only on the outside?  Skin deep, clean?

There is something special that God does to us if we spend time with Him, in His Word.  Read Hebrews 10:22-25.  And I want to tell you about a special promise: "This is the agreement (testament, covenant) that I will set up and conclude with them after those days, says the Lord: I will imprint My laws upon their hearts, and I will inscribe them on thier minds (on their inmost thoughts and understanding)," (Herbrews 10:16).

Let's get clean on the inside!  Let's spend time in his Word, every day!  Let's see what God is preparing our hearts and spirits for!

Saul prophesying

1Samuel 19:24 He (Saul) stripped off his robes and also prophesied in Samuel's presence.  He lay that way all that day and night.

1Samuel 19:23 So Saul went to Naioth at Ramah.  But the Spirit of God came even upon him, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth.

1Samuel 18:8-10 Saul was very angry...Saul kept a jealous eye on David.  The next day an evil spirit from God came forcefully upon Saul, He was prophesying in his house...

Saul was prophesying and thinking about killing David.  Then when he was actually pursuing David to kill him he goes to Ramah and the Spirit of God came upon him and he prophesied so long he lay down and prophesied.  The only other person I remember laying down and prophesying was(? the guy that lay on his side for 40 days and nights and then turned over and layed for 40 more days and nights)

1Samuel 10:9 As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul's heart, and all these signs were fulfilled that day.  When they arrived at Gibeah, a procession of prophets met him; the Spirit of God came upon him in power, and he joined in their prophesying.

In 1Samuel 28 Saul consults a medium, a witch to conjur up in necromancy, Samuel.  1Sam 28:15 ..."I am in great distress, " Saul said, "The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has turned away from me.  He no longer answers me, either by prophets or by dreams.  So...

1Samuel 31 Saul kills himself.

Martha & Mary

Luke 10:38-41 (See below)

Jesus says:

1.  "One thing is needed".

2.  There is a best choice.

3.  When you choose that one thing that is needed, "it will not be taken away from" (you).

What would happen if we would choose to focus on Jesus?  If we would choose to spend some time with him?  What would happen to all the worries over the things that we think are so important?  What could Jesus do with our life with all that extra time?

How would we pray if we weren't focusing on what everybody else should be doing, or is doing?  How would we pray if we weren't telling Jesus what to do?  "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself?  Tell her to help me!"  (Do tattle-tales ever get justice?)

How do we choose Jesus and still get everything done?  Are we trusting Him to order our paths?  Would Jesus have made the meal that Martha was working so hard at?  I bet it would have tasted real good.

"As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him.  She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said.  But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.  She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself?  Tell her to help me!" "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed.  Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."