Prayer

"pray without ceasing." 1Thes. 5:17

Tonight pastor preached to challenge us to morning prayer. There is Bible references to morning prayer. I am not a morning person. So while I pray all day long, I will find a way to start my day with prayer in the morning. It may not be early morning. But I will talk to the Lord before I do anything else. And then I will pray all day long as I usually do.

Why is morning prayer so important? Why can't evening prayer work? I am a night owl and a part of an early bird church.

Stuck In The Past?

Way back in time, back when Reagan was president, Evangelicals got chummy with conservative Republican politicians. They formed the Moral Majority and similar groups. They waved the anti abortion banner and the school choice banner and the pro family banner and they found other areas where they could find common ground Between Evangelicals and conservative Republicans.

Unfortunately, those cold war days are long over. Reagan is dead and gone. The Moral Majority has disbanded. But the Evangelicals find they are still beating the same old drums and fighting the same old wars that brought them into the political limelight for a moment.

I'm sure that abortion is a bad idea. But it stopped being  hot button issue years ago. The Bible is clear on human sexuality. But gay marriage is the law today. The cold war is long over. But, sit in some churches and you would think that you have gone back in time.

You have to wonder when the Pope is talking about issues from Rome that pastors don't mention ever in their pulpits. We get hung up on social media and smart phones. Old news! AI and LLMs are what's happening in the tech world today. Should we be worried? What does the Bible say about today?

If we do not speak to modern issues, how is the world supposed to know what is right and what is wrong? People are still lost and wandering in the darkness of sin. Let's be a light that shines in the darkness and that doesn't throw up barricades to people who need help and who have crazy ideas.

Enough of the Rush Limbaugh conservativism and the Ronald Reagan charisma. Preach God's word in such a way that, no matter what, we will make Heaven our home.

 

A Season and In Season

 A season is a unique period of time when we do specific things. We only do those things during that season. We think it strange when people do things out of season. But in church we forget this rule.

Christmas is a unique season of the year. Unique food, unique music, unique celebrations that we only do at Christmas time. Put a tree up in June and your family will think you are crazy!

Conference is a unique period of time for our Fellowship. Whether in Prescott or in one of the regional conferences, we only have conference at conference time. We have conference crowds. We hear conference sermons. We go all in for the week of conference. We do not have conference year round.

When you live somewhere with changing seasons you schedule most of your outreaches during the milder weather. You do not go door to door in a blizzard or in a monsoon rainstorm. You may shiver through an outdoor concert, but visitors will be home and cozy in their warm clothes. You may brave the blazing heat, but most people will stay in the AC.

Marriage goes through seasons. Families go through seasons. There is school season and football season and ski season. It doesn't take a PhD to understand that things work best when done in season. 

God is always fresh and in season. Today is a good day to get saved.

Times and Seasons

 "To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven." Eccl.3:1

Our home Bible study will focus on this verse and the idea of Times and Seasons. I found something interesting about these two words. The word season is the Hebrew word translated as time; and the word time is the Hebrew word translated as season. A cursory search of the concordance tells me that these two words carry almost the same meaning.

A season is an appointed time. Time in general or time as a unit of time of various lengths or a season of time. The word translated season is only translated as season in this verse. Otherwise it is time. The word time is a commonly used word for time.

One idea that comes to my mind here is that there are certain things that the Holy Spirit does at certain times or in certain seasons. God follows His plan and directs His purpose perfectly. Just like you only get sweet corn or tomatoes at a certain time or in a particular season. There is a time and a season to everything God does.

Ecclesiastes goes on to tell us a long list of things that follow God's schedule. Miracles are when God steps out of time to change the circumstances  in a moment of time. Salvation happens according to God's time, not ours.

"For He says, in an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you. Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." 2Cor.6:2

The Dinosaurs

I saw the title of a video explaining what really happened to the dinosaurs. We have their fossils. But there are no dinosaurs on Earth today. Either the Flood theory s false, and evolution is true; or we misunderstand the flood.

I have a theory on what happened to the dinosaurs and to other creatures for which there is scientific proof that they used to live but are not here today. My theory is that not every creature made it onto Noah's ark. Those on board were there by couples, male and female. But that does not mean that every creature alive at that time was represented on the ark. Maybe the dinosaurs were too big. Maybe the dinosaurs were too slow. Maybe the dinosaurs were too evil and God kept them off the ark. But for whatever reason, no dinosaurs were on Noah's ark. I think God kept them off of the ark on purpose.

The Bible does not list by name or species every animal on the ark. There were enough so that in the process of time the Earth could once again be filled and subdued. 

The bible never claims to be a science book. It is a book about God. Who He is, how He works, what He does, and how we are to live in light of God. The gospel is good news to the great and the small, to the rich and the poor, to all nations and races and people. It is simple so that we have no excuse. Pride alone says it's not for me.

"So those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him; and the Lord shut him in." Genesis 7:16

Breaking Bread

 "Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem." Luke 24:13

Our pastor preached on food and fellowship last night. I wanted to share some thoughts on this topic.

First, when we gather together, even if only two people, Jesus is there with us.

"So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus himself drew near and went with them." v. 15

Second, the Bible is a valuable tool for study and the knowledge of Christ.

"And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself." v. 27

Third, miracles of revelation can happen when we share a meal.

"Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished out of their sight." v. 30-31

Our home Bible studies are part study, part fellowship, and a lot of food. Breaking bread can be a key to spiritual experience.

"And they said to one another, did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the scriptures to us?" v. 32

Home Bible Study Time Again

Our home Bible study groups start back up this Friday. I am looking forward to seeing who will continue with us from before, and who will join us for the first time. I enjoy the fellowship and the friendship these home small group meetings afford me. When you live alone you appreciate chances to get together with others.

Small groups give shy persons a chance to speak up or to share their thoughts that a big group does not allow. Some people will never speak out in adult Sunday school. They might feel more comfortable sharing their thoughts in a more intimate setting.

A number of our assistant leaders are now full fledged home group leaders of their own. We miss them, but they deserve a chance to stretch their wings a little to see how they do.

God help us as we get together to bear one another's burdens and to love those who are not like us at all. God help our group leaders to share God's word with us. God bless those who have opened their homes to host a group.