Verse and Message (Week of Feb 21-28, 2009) February 24, 2009

  

 

Galatians 5:23

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

     

Matthew 6:33

But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

 
When I go too long without eating, I get shaky, disoriented, and cranky. When my body is lacking healthy sustenance, uncomfortable consequences take place. So many times, I miss meals, because I get distracted or become consumed with a variety of day to day projects. On occasion, I may even forget to eat, because my motivation is focused too much on a single task. 

 

Something odd occurs when I haven’t eaten in a while.  I lose my appetite.  It’s a strange phenomenon, but it’s as if my stomach says to my brain…..”Too late, I am not hungry anymore.”  When I haven’t had food for a long period of time, I find that I don’t crave or desire it as much. Consequently, my body shuts down the hunger alert, and it doesn’t desire what is crucial for it to thrive. If we lack proper nourishment, our physical body will fail…likewise with the spirit.

 

When we cease to crave His presence due to distractions at work, domestic projects, activities with kids, hobbies, numerous events, social interaction with people – things that can complicate our schedules – we tend to lose our appetite for the “Bread of Life” — OUR SAVIOR. 

 

Our Lord wants to be the “SPECIAL” of each day on our MENU!  He wants us to feed on Him first! He will make it easier for us to maintain healthy priorities, thus, allowing balance in our daily lives. This thought directs me to the reason for fasting. 

 

Our Senior Pastor, Chris Hodges, shared his thoughts on fasting recently during our 21 days of prayer and fasting. Fasting is simply taking the posture to suppress our earthly appetite. When we feed the flesh….too often our desires of the flesh get in the way of our connection with the Lord. Therefore, it’s significant at times to starve what is taking us away from our communion with God. When we starve the flesh, we are capable of feasting on the Spirit.

 

When we take our eyes off of HIM and focus too intently on the secondary things…..we simply forget to hunger for the ONE True Source of our nourishment and even risk losing our appetite for His Spirit completely.  We become confused, disoriented, shaky, stressed, and cranky in the spirit.

 

We tell children not to spoil dinner by filling up on snacks, because they won’t hunger for the main course.  God helps us make room for smart treats and delicious side items as long as we go to Him TO FILL US UP FIRST. In addition, if we indulge in the junk of worldly desires and thoughts, there will be no room for the HOLY SPIRIT to reside effectively within us. 

 

 

 

Again, what we hunger for is what we feed on.

If we are hungry for God, we will go to Him to fill us up! 

 

When we feed on Him….He fills us with His delicious fruit.  

Nothing in our lives will ever be able to satisfy us….

EXCEPT JESUS….but it’s up to us to partake!

 

Start your day with with a serving from His plate….

Breakfast is the best meal of the day–

take a break and fast everything but Him!

 

  

If we indulge in the “SPECIAL” of the day…

we will maintain a WELL BALANCED DIET!

 

THE MASTER CHEF HAS THE PERFECT RECIPE!

JESUS is the COMPLETE MULTI-VITAMIN!

  

SHARE THE “BREAD OF LIFE” WITH OTHERS!

SUSIE MC

Verse and Message (Week of February 15-21, 2009) February 16, 2009

  

 

Note:  This message was written in memory of Tudor Harris, a classmate of mine from Hewitt-Trussville High School Class of 1986 who passed away last week. I have attached a very moving news article to illustrate how the Lord provides angels of encouragement to us in the midst of difficult times. Thank you to Felicia Clem, a dear classmate who shared the article on facebook with our classmates. Interesting …I had already written my message before reading the article. God knew…..

**The article can be found at the following link**

http://www.txcn.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/tv/stories/DN-explosion_14met.ART.State.Edition1.4c1ba54.html

 

John 11:35 Jesus wept.   It is the shortest verse in the Bible, but a significantly profound verse as well.  Isn’t it awesome that we serve a God who knows exactly how we feel at all times? He knows our heart better than we do….He created us. He not only sympathizes with us during our dark times, He empathizes with us and makes available His supernatural healing. He specifically relates to our hurts and our pain, because He’s been there….way before we were!    Jesus wept when He was deeply moved at the suffering of Mary and others after the death of Lazarus.  The wailing and grief broke His heart, and He too loved Lazarus so much.  Of course, we know that He raised Lazarus from the grave.  Then there was much rejoicing!   We all experience grief.  We all struggle to keep our head up at times.  It’s been said, ”HURT PEOPLE HURT OTHER PEOPLE.”  In other words, when we are grieving or dwelling on pain, we may be tempted to strike out with our words and actions in a destructive way.  However, I have been told that the best way to climb out of the pit, is to reach out and help someone else hurting. By being there for someone else experiencing pain, there’s a dynamic involved that creates a distraction to our own issues.   Sometimes just listening to someone who is going through a traumatic time may provide a measure of healing.  Just knowing someone cares is powerful in the healing process.  Unlike Jesus who knows every angle of our emotions, we don’t always understand another’s moment of grief.  But, our responsibility as a child of God is to pray for and/or pray with that person offering our comfort and love.    On the flip side, if we ourselves are hurting, and we refuse to budge from our pity party, we are not only denying ourselves the support we need, but we are taking a blessing away from a messenger of His encouragement.     Remember that weeping may go on for the night, but joy comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5).  The sunshine always follows the rain!   ASSIST THE HEALER IN WIPING AWAY TEARS TODAY!  LOVE ON SOMEONE STRUGGLING! GOD’S COMPASSION FOR US OVERFLOWS TO OTHERS!   SUSIE MC

Verse and Message (Week of Feb 8-14, 2009) February 10, 2009

Archives of my weekly Verse and Message can be found at my blog link: http://susiemc.wordpress.com I have had the joy of re-connecting with numerous old friends and acquaintances via facebook on the Internet. One group of folks who I have delighted in communicating through this network would be my friends from Hewitt-Trussville High School. The following verse and message is dedicated to all of my friends who graduated from Hewitt-Trussville High School ……..especially my friends who took the Roby Challenge!   Job 19:25 But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and that He will stand upon the earth at last!     Isaiah 44:22 I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.”   Following this past Christmas and New Year, I visited Micah and Jennifer Christy to catch up and enjoy Jen’s famous home-made Louisiana gumbo.  I noticed a note on the counter with the return address of a particular intimidating English teacher I had during my senior year at Hewitt-Trussville High School.  Her name – Wilma Roby.        If there is one teacher I had throughout my school years that got my attention, it was the famous (some would consider infamous) Wilma Roby. Evidentally, Micah (who graduated a year prior to me) had the privilege of having Mrs. Roby as a part of his past experience in high school as well, and he had continued to correspond with her. As most of you can predict, I couldn’t resist sending Mrs. Roby a note after obtaining her address from the note on the counter at Micah and Jen’s. It was a treat to communicate with my favorite teacher of all time…and she responded! (For those of you who are curious, Mrs. Roby retired 18 years ago…)   The “Wrath of Wilma” was the reputation that permeated the halls throughout the school’s history! Nonetheless, quite a few students desired to take her Advanced Academic English class because, there was a particular claim one would have if he survived her class successfully to graduation.    If Mrs. Roby called on me in class and I failed to answer her questions correctly….. it was a bad day.  However, my spirit would perk up when she would face me with one eyebrow raised combined with her sinister smile to challenge me, “Are you ready to redeem yourself Miss Mullins?”  Knees knocking, words stammering, the favor of God was on me when I responded to her satisfaction.  What a relief – and of course – a feeling of intense pride would overwhelm me. Whew!     Her typical question and the word REDEEM resonated over and over in my head. Would you believe as I sit here typing on my laptop, I can still hear her asking me that question?    Redemption is SWEET!    Merriam-Webster on-line defines redeem as follows: -To overcome something detrimental -To release from blame or debt -To change for the better -To exchange for something of value  -To make good -To atone for -To restore -To fulfill   As Christians, we are only Christians because of the ONE TRUE REDEEMER – JESUS CHRIST!  He was not at fault.  He could answer any question correctly.  He was PERFECT………..but He took the fall for us, because we missed the mark …. every wrong answer, every disgusting sin that we ever committed or will ever commit was atoned for at the CROSS.  He made GOOD, because HE WAS NOTHING BUT GOOD. He canceled the debt…He restored….He FULFILLED!   HE is the AUTHOR OF SECOND CHANCES, and THIRD CHANCES, and SEVENTY-SEVEN CHANCES!  We have no right to accept any overwhelming pride for our works……..for without HIS GRACE we would be NOTHING!   HE TRULY TOOK ON THE ENTIRE WEIGHT OF THE WORLD.  He paid the price with His life so we could BE FREE! He loves us THAT MUCH!   I can still hear Him asking me…”Susan, would you come home? I can give you more than you can ever hope for or imagine, if you will just answer my invitation correctly. I will exchange your sin for glory….just accept me.”   I SURRENDER ALL…BECAUSE, MY REDEEMER LIVES!! THE SWEETEST REDEMPTION WAS, IS, and EVER WILL BE…. OUR SAVIOR’S SACRIFICE!!  HE MADE GOOD ON EVERYTHING AT THE CROSS…. SHARE HIS LOVE THIS VALENTINES WEEK!    SUSIE MC

Verse and Message (Week of February 1-7, 2009) February 2, 2009

 

Isaiah 9:2
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.

Matthew 5:16
In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

 

Groundhog Day – http://www.gojp.com/groundhog/

 

 

 

Every February 2, people gather at Gobbler’s Knob, a wooded knoll just outside of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania to see if the “official” groundhog sees his shadow.

 

The groundhog comes out of his electrically heated burrow, looks for his shadow and utters his prediction to a Groundhog Club representative in “groundhogese.” The representative then translates the prediction for the general public.

 

If Punxsutawney Phil (the official groundhog) sees his shadow, it means six more weeks of winter. If he does not see his shadow, it means spring is just around the corner.  

 

Ok, friends, this doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. It seems more logical that if the groundhog sees his shadow, then it is sunny, and winter should be coming to a close. If the groundhog doesn’t see his shadow, then it is dark and dreary, and one would think winter would continue for several more weeks. 

 

Think about it…when the SON is shining, darkness is overcome. However, sometimes we who carry His light choose to hide behind a cloud, and our light isn’t always apparent. The darkness is afraid of the light and will avoid the light at all costs, because the LIGHT always wins. 

 

Some Christians make the mistake of “blending in” or trying too hard to “fit in” in order to be liked by everyone. When this happens, things get muddy and dark…and confusing. Confusion does not come from the Light, because when He sheds light on any given situation, clarity is the result.

 

Anyone who is not running with God is running against God. If we are running with God, we can count on being hit head-on with the darkness, but that doesn’t mean we need to switch lanes to be more comfortable. It’s easy to be complacent. But, it’s noble to be an active LIGHT in the darkness.

 

Christians will face the darkness, but those who ae faithful should not allow themselves to dwell in the darkness. Even Jesus hung out with the wrong crowd at times….but He didn’t stop reflecting His Light.

 

It is crucial that when we are in the company of non-believers that we are intentional in reflecting His LIGHT. The cool thing is that the more we spend time in His Word and in communication with the Father, the more natural and stronger His LIGHT will burn.

 

By the way, Punxsutawney Phil DID see his shadow this morning. Of course, six more weeks of winter in Birmingham, Alabama could mean 22 degrees one day….and a mild 70ish day of golfing the next day. However, those of us who know and love the Lord should be consistent, and recognize that every single day can be full of SONSHINE and WARMTH no matter what the world predicts and no matter how dark the world appears!

 

HAVE A MARVELOUS DAY OF SONSHINE!

DON’T BE A GROUNDHOG HIDING IN A DARK BURROW!

LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE BRIGHT!

SUSIE MC