God's Tug - Usefulness: God is in Control

Happy Spring to everyone! Today in LA it's been raining all day to welcome in the Vernal Equinox. Still, the sun is shining behind all the clouds. If you wish to pass this message along to anyone, please feel free to do so. 

 
Have a blessed day.
 
Michelle

Usefulness: God is in Control

Yet you, LORD, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.  Isaiah 64:7-9  New International Version ©2011

[ Salt and Light ] "Let me tell you why you are here. You're here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You've lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.
Matthew 5:12-14 (The Message)

I’ve always wanted to be useful to someone or for some cause. Most of my life, I’ve felt quite useless, failing at the one thing I’ve prayed for over and over again: I’ve wanted a human relationship. In the past, I’ve felt sad about that. Many of my friends told me it’s not so great being in a relationship, marriage, or whatever. Huh, Easy for them to say! I’ve watched dramatic shows on television where I’ve seen all kinds of relationship problems that run the gamut from abuse to unfaithfulness to divorce to the ultimate horror of being murdered by someone a person believed love them. Yet, as I’ve grown older, I have grown comfortable with my being single. I even like it. Ok, not that I don’t get lonely at times, but today I realized how useful my being single is. It’s this: God can use my being single for His own purpose. When I think about it this way, serving my Lord is what I’ve always wanted to do, I just didn’t know how, but He did. With God, nothing is impossible. My firm belief is that (my) God can make a way where there is none.

Good Things

by  Everett Christian,  McAlester, OK

 
 
GOD SPEAKS TO US THROUGH HIS HOLY WORD
 
15 For at just the right time Christ will be revealed from heaven by the blessed and only almighty God, the King of all kings and Lord of all lords. 16 He alone can never die, and he lives in light so brilliant that no human can approach him. No human eye has ever seen him, nor ever will. All honor and power to him forever! Amen.  - 1 Timothy 6:15-16(New Living Translation).
 
 
 
GOD'S PROMISE TO US FROM HIS HOLY WORD
 
 18 “Come now, let’s settle this,”
      says the Lord.
   “Though your sins are like scarlet,
      I will make them as white as snow.
   Though they are red like crimson,
      I will make them as white as wool."
- Isaiah 1:18(New Living Translation).
 
 
 
A QUOTE
 
The question is not "Will I trust?" but "Whom will I trust?"
- W. E. McCumber -
 
 
 
THOUGHTS TO REMEMBER
 
Have patience, all things are difficult before they become easy.
- From Reminisce Magazine -
 
The one thing worse than a quitter is the person who is afraid to begin.
- From Reminisce Magazine -
 
 
 
NOTES
 
Today has been partly cloudy with a high temperature of 80 degrees. Low temperature last night was 57 degrees. My cleaning lady came at 11:00 a.m. While she cleaned my house I had lunch with Charley and came by the post office. After my nap this afternoon I went to a Dollar General for a few items. I sat out in the yard for a while earlier in the afternoon and then later this evening. I did some trimming on some rose bushes this evening. The bushes were spreading and taking up too much room on the outside of the fence. So I am tired tonight. The cat picture tonight is Itty Bitty. Now that is a pretty cat even if I have to say so. What don't some of you that I haven't heard from in a month of Sundays let me know what you think of my cats?
 
The cats are fine. I have the front door ajar and Little Girl must be outside. Rascal is asleep on a desk close by me. I have seen all of our cats today.
 
At 9:55 p.m. skies are fair with a temperature of 70 degrees. Have a Wonderful Sunday! I will see you next time.
 
In Christian Love, Everett.

This Old Prayer Request Card

¹There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under heaven:

²a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

³a time to kill and a time, to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

⁴a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance…”  Eccl 3:1-4 (NIV)

I have an 8 ½ x 11” piece of paper I use for recording my prayer requests and the names of people I for whom I want to pray. My memory isn’t very good and especially with the condition I’ve had for many months, I forget even easier. This prayer request card is dog-eared, has cross-outs, has places where I used white out, has smudges, and is generally getting very crowded. Yet, I keep adding more requests onto it. Sometimes, when I’m very tired, I pray a general prayer for the needs of those on the card. Other times, I name each person on it. What God has me realizing about this prayer request card and my life is that, just like the verse from Ecclesiastes, there’s a time in my life and the lives of others for everything. My prayers are always heard and fill God’s ears, yet He always has room to hear more.

I’ve wanted to rewrite the prayer request card, since it’s quite messy, but God keeps telling me that it’s still good enough. Just like His heart being full of requests from me and many others, there’s still room for more requests in his heart and on my prayer request card for more. So, once again each morning and during the day, my prayers go out to those on this only prayer request card.   

Good Things

by  Everett Christian,  McAlester, OK

 
 
GOD SPEAKS TO US THROUGH HIS HOLY WORD
 
 4 Oh, the joys of those who trust the Lord,
      who have no confidence in the proud
      or in those who worship idols.
- Psalm 40:4(New Living Translation).
 
 
 
GOD'S PROMISE TO US FROM HIS HOLY WORD
 
 8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
- Romans 5:8(New Living Translation).
 
 
 
A QUOTE
 
Can anyone think of believing in God without trusting Him? Is it possible to trust in God for the big things like forgiveness and eternal life, and then refuse to trust him for the little things like clothing and food?  - Oswald C. J. Hoffman -
 
 
 
THOUGHTS TO REMEMBER
 
Sending a letter is a good way to go somewhere without moving anything but your heart.
- From Reminisce Magazine -
 
The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everthing; they just make the best of everthing.
- From Reminisce Magazine -
 
 
 
NOTES
 
Today has been partly cloudy with a high temperature of 78 degrees. Low temperature for today is the current temperature of 58 degrees. I had lunch with Charley and Bill. I went to the post office. I visited with Curtis Schock and his daughter, Amanda Rich, for a few minutes at the post office. I have been at home the rest of the day. There was a strong breeze from the north direction so it was a little too cool to sit out this evening.
 
I have a prayer request tonight that I received from Mary Ellen Smith in Colorado:
Pray for Mark Cobb who is in Cedar Sinai Hospital waiting for a new heart. This is an urgent prayer request.
 
The cats are fine. Did you recognize the cat in the picture last night since I didn't tell you his name? That was Beau. I found a picture of him by himself. Tonight's picture is Friendly. As you can see she is a tortoiseshell. You that know cats know that tortoiseshell cats are always female like the calico's. My cats are fine, Little Girl on her blanket on the couch and Rascal in the recliner. All of the rest have been around and are all accounted for.
 
At 10:35 p.m. skies are partly cloudy with a temperature of 58 degrees. I will see you next time.
 
In Christian Love, Everett

Daily Jewel

by  Pastor J.T. Carnell,  McAlester, OK 

“Stay Inside the Village”  

“She is unruly and defiant, her feet never stay at home…” – Proverbs 7:11

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” – 1st Peter 5:8, 9

The implication here is clear—evil is lurking at every corner and will to go to any length find it’s next victim.  The lesson in Solomon’s analogy should not be taken lightly—once you leave the safety of God’s protection and wisdom, look out!

I heard someone recently describe what some African villages do to protect themselves from predators, namely lions that have been known to attack at night.  She said the huts are arranged in a circle, with the huts of those who have young children and the elderly, which represent the most vulnerable in an “inner circle.”  Surrounding the village is a hedge of briars with thorns that are up to an inch in length.  If that wasn’t enough, a fire is constantly burning in the center providing light that could be used as a weapon as well.

Sadly, she went on to say, that regardless of the precautions in place there are those who are foolish enough to step outside the protective covering and take their chances with the elements on the outside.  A number of them are transformed from prey to becoming a “midnight snack.”

It was at this point that she made a Spiritual analogy that truly hit a home run.  I cannot quote her exact words but it went along this line:  “When we choose to live outside the will of God we are like these foolish villagers—we become easy prey for the devil to get at our souls.”

            I don’t know if it was her intent or not or whether Solomon meant it in this way but I will take this opportunity to make the following observation.  I have been in pastoral ministry now for over 20 years.  I am certainly no expert by any stretch of the imagination but I have noticed that there is a direct parallel with one’s personal growth and their church attendance and/or involvement!  Is this true for everyone?  No it is not—but from what I have experienced the longer a person has become detached from the Body of Christ (i.e., the Church) they have the tendency to display any or all of the following:  negativity, cynicism, fear, and have a general outlook that does not reflect Christ-like qualities.

            Most Christians I know are fairly diligent about knowing how to defend themselves outside the Church and the reason for that is pretty simple—they have developed the tools necessary to know how to handle the “wayward woman;” the evil that is always lurking in the shadows.

            But for those whose relationship with Jesus is marginal at best—they have neither developed the tools nor would they know how to use them if they had them!  They need to stay “attached to the vine” as Jesus said and draw strength from Him from every possible means.  The phrase, "there is strength in numbers" I believe also applies to our spirituality as much as it does any other element of life.

            I will make one more observation:  For those who have the opinion that we do not need Church to be a Christian, I would make this statement—if it were not His Will, why did He create it?   The Church is God’s creation—His design—and not mans.  Do we make mistakes?  Yes!  Do people from the Church take advantage of one another, in Jesus’ name?  Unfortunately, yes.  Despite all the safeguards that should be in place, the “lion” that Peter describes can still find his way in.

            But overall—when God’s people are working at their best—when the inner circles are in place and praying a “hedge of thorns” around them and creating a fire of holiness in the center, then we are strong and safe. 

            My advice to anyone…stay inside the village…the village of God!  Don’t get caught outside where danger lurks.