Perhaps I should start wearing steel toed boots to church?

[RGR]

Well, as every Sunday morning goes the boys and I loaded up and went to church. Typical Sunday morning routine. I figured on the regular Sunday morning routine: Sunday School, me singing 4 congregational songs, some special singing, etc. Little did I know I was going to get my toes stepped on both during the Sunday School lesson and the sermon.

I'm a worry-wart. I'm not going to lie about it. I realize the Bible says not to worry but I tend to do so. I'm a normal human. I have doubts and fears. I mean, who doesn't at times? Does it change anything? Well, it has helped change my hair color from brown to a lot of gray but other than that, it hasn't changed anything. Why do I keep worrying? That's a good question.

Faith. Yes, that what God asks of us. That's something I've been struggling with a lot lately. First thing in the Sunday School lesson it talked about not looking at things in the "now" but looking at them in the "not yet." God is going to do what He says, but many times His timing is different than ours. When we try to get ahead of God's timing and help Him along, we make a mess of things. I remember the analogy of a caterpillar turning into a butterfly. A person saw the butterfly struggling to escape its protective casing (cocoon?) and decided to help it along. In doing so, the butterfly was unable to fly and died quickly. So it is when we try to help God along. One could also use the analogy of a cake in the oven; it smells all good and wonderful but if we take it out too early it's not going to be worth anything more than throwing it out. If we would have allowed the cake to bake a few more minutes it would have gotten "three yums" as Brother Andrews says.

Then came the sermon from Brother Andrews. His Scripture text? He talked about Doubting Thomas lol!!! Sheesh, as if I didn't get the hint in the Sunday School lesson. For anyone unfamiliar, Thomas was on the 12 disciples and he was not there when Jesus revealed himself to the other 10 disciples after His resurrection. (remembering, Judas had already killed himself by this point). When they told him Jesus had appeared to them he refused to believe unless he saw Jesus himself and saw the scars in His hands, feet and side. Of course, some time later, Jesus did reveal Himself to Thomas and told him that they were blessed who hadn't seen and yet still believed. Isn't that what faith is about?

We live in an age of instant everything. We pop a dinner in the microwave and 2 1/2 minutes later it's done and ready to eat. We plug in a heater during the winter and get instant heat. We can instantly pick up our cell phones and send text messages across the globe. We've became so spoiled to instant everything and I'm afraid we expect to be able to pray to God and the answer to the prayer be there before our knees are off the floor. It doesn't work that way (something I keep reminding myself). Rome wasn't built in a day and neither are our blessings many times. Now if I can just remind myself of this fact I'll be good to go lol!!!

[nebula]

Ron -

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness.

Believing and trusting that your confession will bring the promised cleansing.

[Guest]

.... We live in an age of instant everything. We pop a dinner in the microwave and 2 1/2 minutes later it's done and ready to eat. We plug in a heater during the winter and get instant heat. We can instantly pick up our cell phones and send text messages across the globe. We've became so spoiled to instant everything and I'm afraid we expect to be able to pray to God and the answer to the prayer be there before our knees are off the floor. It doesn't work that way (something I keep reminding myself). Rome wasn't built in a day and neither are our blessings many times. Now if I can just remind myself of this fact I'll be good to go lol!!! http://www.worthychristianforums.com/uploads/emoticons/default_laugh.png' alt=':laugh:'>....

Amen~!

For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. Romans 1:17

[RGR]

Ron -

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness.

Believing and trusting that your confession will bring the promised cleansing.

At work I have to make reminder calls to clients to let the know their payment is due. Sometimes God has to make reminder calls to us lol!!!

[georgedrw81]

As we go closer to Him our prayers are replied faster. If you check on your job performnce you will be amazed on how effective you are - from the moment of first call to the actual payment.

Blessings

[Fez]

We've became so spoiled to instant everything and I'm afraid we expect to be able to pray to God and the answer to the prayer be there before our knees are off the floor. It doesn't work that way (something I keep reminding myself). Rome wasn't built in a day and neither are our blessings many times. Now if I can just remind myself of this fact I'll be good to go lol!!!

"Patience is not in the waiting, it is how we wait" - Martin Luther (Wittenburg, Germany, 1554)

[Believer1997]

My grandfather once told me that if you went to church and did NOT get your toes stepped on a bit - the truth was not being told or we just weren't listening to it. I now find that the more scuffed my toes get - the more I'm learning.

[Fez]

My grandfather once told me that if you went to church and did NOT get your toes stepped on a bit - the truth was not being told or we just weren't listening to it. I now find that the more scuffed my toes get - the more I'm learning.

Or maybe you need to treat yourself to a new pair of shoes (but I agree with you...)

[sheya joie]

As we go closer to Him our prayers are replied faster. If you check on your job performnce you will be amazed on how effective you are - from the moment of first call to the actual payment.

Blessings

I'd be hard pressed to name anyone closer to the Lord than Abraham and Moses - and the first had to wait 25 years for the fulfillment of the Lord's promise to him of a son, while the second spent 40 years out in the backside of nowhere from the time he fled Egypt till the Lord spoke to him from the burning bush and sent him back there - and then a second 40 years leading the Lord's people round and round in the wilderness waiting for the unbelieving generation to die off.

So I don't see that closeness to God automatically means quick answers to prayer.

[mizzdy]

As we go closer to Him our prayers are replied faster. If you check on your job performnce you will be amazed on how effective you are - from the moment of first call to the actual payment.

Blessings

I'd be hard pressed to name anyone closer to the Lord than Abraham and Moses - and the first had to wait 25 years for the fulfillment of the Lord's promise to him of a son, while the second spent 40 years out in the backside of nowhere from the time he fled Egypt till the Lord spoke to him from the burning bush and sent him back there - and then a second 40 years leading the Lord's people round and round in the wilderness waiting for the unbelieving generation to die off.

So I don't see that closeness to God automatically means quick answers to prayer.

I agree with that, and Moses didn't get all his prayers answered either he didn't get to go into the promised land. God answers prayers as to how He sees fit, His will not ours and all that.