NOTE: Enjoy this guest post from my husband and fellow Pastor, Greg Bishop.
And Jesus said, "Come unto me all ye that... are heavy laden and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)
How many times have we complained about our load being too heavy? I know I have many times. It’s the natural thing to do. It’s the human thing to do.
1 Peter 5:7 tells us to cast all our cares upon Him for He cares for us. This seems like more than natural, and more than human, this seems like it would be Supernatural! And it is.
Jesus knows our weaknesses, He knows our limits, and He knows our needs. Most of the time we, in our humanness, think we have to solve our problems all by ourselves, but it just doesn’t work that way. As Christians, we just need to get out of the way and let the Lord work. We need to give Him our burdens, our cares, our worries, our fears... and trust Him to take care of them.
Is it easy? By no means! But it's crucial to a right relationship with Him.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Friday, March 6, 2009
Church Bloopers - Just for Fun!
We've all seen church bulletin or Powerpoint bloopers that make us chuckle. These have been compiled from various sources - email, online and even our own bulletins!22 members were present at the church meeting held at the home of Mrs. Marsha Crutchfield last evening. Mrs. Crutchfield and Mrs. Rankin sang a duet, The Lord Knows Why.
Don’t let worry kill you - let the church help.
Due to the Rector's illness, Wednesday's healing services will be discontinued until further notice.
During the absence of our pastor, we enjoyed the rare privilege of hearing a good sermon when J.F. Stubbs supplied our pulpit.
Evening massage - 6 p.m.
Low Self-Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 to 8:30 p.m. Please use the back door.
Next Sunday Mrs. Vinson will be soloist for the morning service. The pastor will then speak on "It's a Terrible Experience."
Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles, and other items to be recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children.
The Pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the congregation would lend him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday morning.
The Rev. Merriwether spoke briefly, much to the delight of the audience.
The audience is asked to remain seated until the end of the recession.
The concert held in Fellowship Hall was a great success. Special thanks are due to the minister's daughter, who labored the whole evening at the piano, which as usual fell upon her.
The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare's Hamlet in the church basement on Friday at 7 p.m. The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.
The music for today's service was all composed by George Friedrich Handel in celebration of the 300th anniversary of his birth.
The outreach committee has enlisted 25 visitors to make calls on people who are not afflicted with any church.
The pastor will preach his farewell message, after which the choir will sing, "Break Forth Into Joy."
The third verse of Blessed Assurance will be sung without musical accomplishment.
This being Easter Sunday, we will ask Mrs. Lewis to come forward and lay an egg on the altar.
Thursday Night: Potluck supper. Prayer and medication to follow
Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. there will be an ice cream social. All ladies giving milk will please come early.
Have any to add? Leave a comment!
Escaping “Little Box” Mentality
NOTE: Enjoy this guest post by Krista Dunk, Co-Founder of Koinonia Business Women, twitterer and blogger.
As Christian business owners, we need to both mature, personally, and gain business skills based on the wisdom of God. That process certainly has had its ups and downs, victories and lessons! It will require gaining and escaping certain things, such as traits and mind-sets. One mind-set that holds many business owners and managers back is “little box” mentality. Most of us have a little box where we think all our resources live – all of our skills, abilities, knowledge, finances, opportunities, personality traits, future prospects, talents, etc. Although the little box can hold us back, it is comfortable and familiar. Sometimes we just can’t see beyond its boundaries.
Think about this:
• What limits have you (or others) placed on yourself?
• What limitations do you associate with yourself?
• Which part of who God says that you are, don’t you believe yet?
• Can you set goals without having every detail perfected first?
• Can you visualize an abundant future no matter what your present looks like?
• Can you brainstorm business ideas without limitation?
• Do you recognize resources that are not under your complete control?
Be conscious of whether or not you are placing limits on yourself. What you think you can do (skill sets, knowledge, success potential) is often rooted in your past. People tend to pull from their own ideas and experience about what is possible. How about tapping into what God says is possible!
I’m not assuming to say that you can go out and perform brain surgery today, design a 10-page website or write the next #1 hit worship song. It’s true that no one is good at everything, nor are we supposed to be. Each of us has different talents, skills, abilities, strengths, and weaknesses to work with and that is exactly how God designed us.
Let’s move the box out even a bit further with this next thought...
As a Christian, you are part of the Body of Christ. Romans 12:4-5 says, “Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.”
The Body of believers makes up God’s “church," not a building with four walls. Since you are a part of the Body that is working together, what strengths can you draw upon from the other “members”? You have power to rely on from the rest of the Body!
Let your mind explore that thought for a while and understand the resources available within the Body.
Other people have knowledge when you need ideas. Others have strength when you feel week. Others have found a way out of your same situation before when you are feeling stuck. Others have services and businesses that can assist yours. Others will offer referrals and networking when you have a dry spell. You don’t need to pull from your own ideas (your little box) about what is possible! God doesn’t have any box. In fact, His Word says that “with God, all things are possible”. Take the limits off and bust through that little box mentality! You have Kingdom resources available to you today!
As Christian business owners, we need to both mature, personally, and gain business skills based on the wisdom of God. That process certainly has had its ups and downs, victories and lessons! It will require gaining and escaping certain things, such as traits and mind-sets. One mind-set that holds many business owners and managers back is “little box” mentality. Most of us have a little box where we think all our resources live – all of our skills, abilities, knowledge, finances, opportunities, personality traits, future prospects, talents, etc. Although the little box can hold us back, it is comfortable and familiar. Sometimes we just can’t see beyond its boundaries.
Think about this:
• What limits have you (or others) placed on yourself?
• What limitations do you associate with yourself?
• Which part of who God says that you are, don’t you believe yet?
• Can you set goals without having every detail perfected first?
• Can you visualize an abundant future no matter what your present looks like?
• Can you brainstorm business ideas without limitation?
• Do you recognize resources that are not under your complete control?
Be conscious of whether or not you are placing limits on yourself. What you think you can do (skill sets, knowledge, success potential) is often rooted in your past. People tend to pull from their own ideas and experience about what is possible. How about tapping into what God says is possible!
I’m not assuming to say that you can go out and perform brain surgery today, design a 10-page website or write the next #1 hit worship song. It’s true that no one is good at everything, nor are we supposed to be. Each of us has different talents, skills, abilities, strengths, and weaknesses to work with and that is exactly how God designed us.
Let’s move the box out even a bit further with this next thought...
As a Christian, you are part of the Body of Christ. Romans 12:4-5 says, “Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.”
The Body of believers makes up God’s “church," not a building with four walls. Since you are a part of the Body that is working together, what strengths can you draw upon from the other “members”? You have power to rely on from the rest of the Body!
Let your mind explore that thought for a while and understand the resources available within the Body.
Other people have knowledge when you need ideas. Others have strength when you feel week. Others have found a way out of your same situation before when you are feeling stuck. Others have services and businesses that can assist yours. Others will offer referrals and networking when you have a dry spell. You don’t need to pull from your own ideas (your little box) about what is possible! God doesn’t have any box. In fact, His Word says that “with God, all things are possible”. Take the limits off and bust through that little box mentality! You have Kingdom resources available to you today!
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Miracle Online Healing
A few years back, Greg had been complaining of chest pains for several weeks. He kept trying to brush off his concern, taking antacids to eliminate the symptoms. But we were concerned.
Greg's family has a strong history of heart disease. His dad died of a heart attack at age 53, a brother of one at 49, a sister of one in her mid-50's I believe, and four other siblings had suffered some kind of heart-related problems requiring medication or surgery.
Finally, one night when the pain became severe, I insisted he have it checked out. Within minutes we had arrived at the emergency room of our local hospital and were waiting for a doctor to examine him.
Thankfully, they told us his heart looked fine, but they diagnosed him with gastroesophageal reflux disease, commonly known as GERD, or acid reflux. Acid reflux is a condition where the stomach contents "reflux" (return) back to the esophagus causing inflammation that can - in the worst cases - damage the esophageal lining, and in the least cause extreme discomfort. The chest pains Greg experienced, which felt like they could be a heart attack, are a common symptom of GERD. The ER physician prescribed antacids and sent us home with instructions to visit our family doctor as soon as possible.
The next morning, we called Dr. England's office for an appointment. As soon as the doctor heard Greg's symptoms, he agreed that he was suffering from GERD and prescribed Prilosec, which at that time was the only medicine available to treat this condition. It seemed a miracle cure.
The chest pains were immediately gone, Greg was able to eat most anything again without undue problems, and we were thrilled that the illness was so easy to treat.
Fast forward five years...
Greg, who is an upholsterer, began having terrible pains in both arms. He managed the pain with Ibuprofen for awhile, but when that started to lose its effectiveness, back to the doctor he went.
This time Dr. England prescribed a prescription anti-inflammatory, but Greg couldn't take it without getting sick, even when he ate a full meal. He switched back to Ibuprofen, but the relief didn't last long enough. He'd be okay for a couple hours after taking a dose, but then the pain would return. We were afraid of the side effects to his stomach since Ibuprofen is known to cause ulcers if used in excess. The doctor ordered x-rays and other tests which revealed nothing unusual. Each time Greg saw him, Dr. England suggested that it could be Greg's work causing the problem. We didn't know what to do since he couldn't quit working.
Meanwhile, the pain in his arms had become so bad that he couldn't even lift his arms over his head. He said it felt as if he had two-hundred pound bags strapped to his arms. The only relief he found came when he was sitting in his recliner in our living room, letting his arms lay limp in his lap. He couldn't do anything without tremendous pain. His arms were virtually useless.
We began to worry that Greg would have to change his line of work. For a 50 plus year-old man, that possibility was terribly frightening. What kind of career change could he make at his age? Who would want to hire him? Along with the pain itself, the stress was becoming increasingly unbearable.
As people of faith, Greg and I had been praying for God to heal his pain. But we then began to pray earnestly that God would reveal a solution to us as to what the underlying cause of the pain was. We needed to know why he was experiencing this pain so we could learn how to eliminate it!
One day I felt a strong urge to look up Prilosec on the Internet. By this time, Greg had been taking the drug nearly six years. I wondered if maybe there was some kind of side effect that could be causing him problems.
Sure enough, on one of the medical sites describing the drug, I found a list of rare side effects. I was shocked to see that it included severe pain in the arms or legs! I called Greg at work.
"You need to stop taking Prilosec immediately!" I told him. Of course, he wanted to know why. The drug had been such a tremendous help in treating his reflux.
I explained what I'd found and printed off some information for him to read when he got home. By that time I was becoming convinced that this could be the solution we'd sought. That night, after reading several pages I'd printed from the 'Net, Greg agreed it was worth a try. He skipped his dosage the next day, and he's never taken another dose of that particular "purple pill" since.
Within two days, the pain had lessened. He could move his arms without hurting and the feeling of carrying around heavy weights began to reside. Within two weeks, Greg was completely healed... No More Pain! We were thrilled, to say the least!
We thank God for directing us to this solution and we know that the Internet is what made finding our answer accessible. Without it, we might never have discovered this little known side effect that even our doctor was unaware of.
Greg's family has a strong history of heart disease. His dad died of a heart attack at age 53, a brother of one at 49, a sister of one in her mid-50's I believe, and four other siblings had suffered some kind of heart-related problems requiring medication or surgery.
Finally, one night when the pain became severe, I insisted he have it checked out. Within minutes we had arrived at the emergency room of our local hospital and were waiting for a doctor to examine him.
Thankfully, they told us his heart looked fine, but they diagnosed him with gastroesophageal reflux disease, commonly known as GERD, or acid reflux. Acid reflux is a condition where the stomach contents "reflux" (return) back to the esophagus causing inflammation that can - in the worst cases - damage the esophageal lining, and in the least cause extreme discomfort. The chest pains Greg experienced, which felt like they could be a heart attack, are a common symptom of GERD. The ER physician prescribed antacids and sent us home with instructions to visit our family doctor as soon as possible.
The next morning, we called Dr. England's office for an appointment. As soon as the doctor heard Greg's symptoms, he agreed that he was suffering from GERD and prescribed Prilosec, which at that time was the only medicine available to treat this condition. It seemed a miracle cure.
The chest pains were immediately gone, Greg was able to eat most anything again without undue problems, and we were thrilled that the illness was so easy to treat.
Fast forward five years...
Greg, who is an upholsterer, began having terrible pains in both arms. He managed the pain with Ibuprofen for awhile, but when that started to lose its effectiveness, back to the doctor he went.
This time Dr. England prescribed a prescription anti-inflammatory, but Greg couldn't take it without getting sick, even when he ate a full meal. He switched back to Ibuprofen, but the relief didn't last long enough. He'd be okay for a couple hours after taking a dose, but then the pain would return. We were afraid of the side effects to his stomach since Ibuprofen is known to cause ulcers if used in excess. The doctor ordered x-rays and other tests which revealed nothing unusual. Each time Greg saw him, Dr. England suggested that it could be Greg's work causing the problem. We didn't know what to do since he couldn't quit working.
Meanwhile, the pain in his arms had become so bad that he couldn't even lift his arms over his head. He said it felt as if he had two-hundred pound bags strapped to his arms. The only relief he found came when he was sitting in his recliner in our living room, letting his arms lay limp in his lap. He couldn't do anything without tremendous pain. His arms were virtually useless.
We began to worry that Greg would have to change his line of work. For a 50 plus year-old man, that possibility was terribly frightening. What kind of career change could he make at his age? Who would want to hire him? Along with the pain itself, the stress was becoming increasingly unbearable.
As people of faith, Greg and I had been praying for God to heal his pain. But we then began to pray earnestly that God would reveal a solution to us as to what the underlying cause of the pain was. We needed to know why he was experiencing this pain so we could learn how to eliminate it!
One day I felt a strong urge to look up Prilosec on the Internet. By this time, Greg had been taking the drug nearly six years. I wondered if maybe there was some kind of side effect that could be causing him problems.
Sure enough, on one of the medical sites describing the drug, I found a list of rare side effects. I was shocked to see that it included severe pain in the arms or legs! I called Greg at work.
"You need to stop taking Prilosec immediately!" I told him. Of course, he wanted to know why. The drug had been such a tremendous help in treating his reflux.
I explained what I'd found and printed off some information for him to read when he got home. By that time I was becoming convinced that this could be the solution we'd sought. That night, after reading several pages I'd printed from the 'Net, Greg agreed it was worth a try. He skipped his dosage the next day, and he's never taken another dose of that particular "purple pill" since.
Within two days, the pain had lessened. He could move his arms without hurting and the feeling of carrying around heavy weights began to reside. Within two weeks, Greg was completely healed... No More Pain! We were thrilled, to say the least!
We thank God for directing us to this solution and we know that the Internet is what made finding our answer accessible. Without it, we might never have discovered this little known side effect that even our doctor was unaware of.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
The Friend of Sinners
What a thought that Jesus is the "friend of sinners"! To think that the Creator God of the entire universe would choose to befriend a sinner... a liar, or adulterer, or murderer. The One Who was without sin chose to befriend the one so lost in sin she couldn't find her way home.
All of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God according to Romans 3:23. But Jesus came to change that! He came that we might live apart from sin, that we might be freed from the bondage and chains of sin - of addiction to sin, of the compulsion to sin - of sin itself, in all its ugliness.
He - Jesus - came to give us free, abundant life without sin. What a thought... what a Savior!
All of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God according to Romans 3:23. But Jesus came to change that! He came that we might live apart from sin, that we might be freed from the bondage and chains of sin - of addiction to sin, of the compulsion to sin - of sin itself, in all its ugliness.
He - Jesus - came to give us free, abundant life without sin. What a thought... what a Savior!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Are You Listening?
NOTE: Enjoy this guest post from my husband and fellow Pastor, Greg Bishop.
The scripture says in Matthew 11:15, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." Why do we sometimes feel that we never hear from God?
Let's just explore this question for a minute... Could it be that we're just too busy?
Could it be that we get so caught up in the daily grind that we don't take time out to give God a chance to reach us?
Are we so tired at the end of the day that we have forgotten who gave us this day?
At one time or another I believe we're all guilty of this. How many times have we waited until bedtime, pulled the covers down, crawled in, covered up and started our prayer, "Lord thank you for keeping me today... ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ" Then we're not aware of anything until morning.
Listen, God is speaking.
Give Him the best part of your day. Make an earnest effort to talk to the Lord as soon as your eyes open. And then before you start your busy day, go to Him in prayer, speaking what's on your mind and allowing Him to talk to you.
You'll be amazed, if you keep this routine up, what a change you will see, or should I say hear, in the way God makes His presence known to you.
I challenge you to give God your most alert time, whatever time of the day that might be, then listen. He will speak to you through His word and His people and countless other sources. Sometimes our spirit hears a lot better than our physical ears do. But we must not ignore the fact that God gave us our physical ears to hear with. We are affected by what those amazing ears hear.
The scripture says in Matthew 11:15, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." Why do we sometimes feel that we never hear from God?Let's just explore this question for a minute... Could it be that we're just too busy?
Could it be that we get so caught up in the daily grind that we don't take time out to give God a chance to reach us?
Are we so tired at the end of the day that we have forgotten who gave us this day?
At one time or another I believe we're all guilty of this. How many times have we waited until bedtime, pulled the covers down, crawled in, covered up and started our prayer, "Lord thank you for keeping me today... ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ" Then we're not aware of anything until morning.
Listen, God is speaking.
Give Him the best part of your day. Make an earnest effort to talk to the Lord as soon as your eyes open. And then before you start your busy day, go to Him in prayer, speaking what's on your mind and allowing Him to talk to you.
You'll be amazed, if you keep this routine up, what a change you will see, or should I say hear, in the way God makes His presence known to you.
I challenge you to give God your most alert time, whatever time of the day that might be, then listen. He will speak to you through His word and His people and countless other sources. Sometimes our spirit hears a lot better than our physical ears do. But we must not ignore the fact that God gave us our physical ears to hear with. We are affected by what those amazing ears hear.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Three Ways to Reach Out in Love
I'm a big fan of Servant Evangelism - both the concept and the website. If you've never visited there, I encourage you to do so! There are literally thousands of small, inexpensive ways to show the world you care because Jesus cares and to do it with flair. So I'll be sharing a few occasionally as they come to mind.
Here are three to get you started:
Use your computer and printer to create business cards with scriptures, Christian graphics, etc. and your contact information on the back if you want. Attach these to:
• A mint with the saying "God's Love is Mint for You" or "I Mint for You to Know Jesus Loves You!"
• An inexpensive kitchen sponge into small pieces with the saying "Soak up God's Love."
• A stick of gum with the saying "Choose [chews] Jesus" or "Jesus will Stick to You for Life!"
Have other ideas? I'd love to hear them!
Here are three to get you started:
Use your computer and printer to create business cards with scriptures, Christian graphics, etc. and your contact information on the back if you want. Attach these to:
• A mint with the saying "God's Love is Mint for You" or "I Mint for You to Know Jesus Loves You!"
• An inexpensive kitchen sponge into small pieces with the saying "Soak up God's Love."
• A stick of gum with the saying "Choose [chews] Jesus" or "Jesus will Stick to You for Life!"
Have other ideas? I'd love to hear them!
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