Prayer

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My Thanksgiving Prayer

Posted by The Bible In Your Hand on November 22, 2018
Posted in: Christian, Christianity, Religion, Spirituality, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , .

ThanksgivingMy Thanksgiving Prayer

I am sure many of us can relate to this.  Yesterday was a very tough day as I was personally stabbed in the back.  No, not physically but figuratively.  It hurts, stings and even today, brings a tear to my eye.

My friend and for the past 20 years, partner in ministry stabbed me in the back.  I think we both knew there would be growing pains as my wife and I transitioned to a new church.  We did not expect the reaction that we have received or felt from our former ministry partner during the two months since we transitioned our ministry.

It makes Thanksgiving a little tough, for the feelings of hurt are still there.  But last night as I thought about what happened, I can see areas, where indeed I could have handled things differently.  I can see where the signs of problems developed quite some time ago, until yesterday they bubbled over, words were spoken, feelings were hurt, and Thanksgiving could be ruined.

When so much has been invested in a relationship, and you have enjoyed working, sharing together, and both our families have spent countless hours together in both ministry and in recreation, the loss creates a stinging heartfelt hurt.

Perhaps this is the way it was for God the Father and the Pre-incarnate Christ when Adam and Eve figuratively stabbed them in the back.  Think of the love and compassion shown by the Pre-incarnate Christ as he kneeled down and formed Adam out of the dust of the earth, and later Eve from Adam.  How he lovingly set aside one day each week to spend with His newly created family in God’s home on earth the Garden of Eden.

Yet despite the stab in the back, the rejection the Pre-incarnate Christ and God the Father felt from their earth family, they still continued to love and show mercy, tenderness and compassion toward them.  He continued to lead, guide and direct, yet the rejection of the human family toward God continued.

Which brought my thinking to the scene on Calvary.  Here is the creator of the world being nailed to a wooden cross. The emblem of suffering and shame, dyeing the most humiliating death possible and from hands of the ones He had created, loved and shown mercy toward.  But instead of getting mad, upset or speaking words of hatred, Christ said, “Father forgive them” (Luke 23:34).

If my Saviour and Lord who was every bit as human as you and I, refusing to use his divinity, but instead becoming one like us can then love his enemies and even when suffering the most humiliating death at the hands of those He loved, then how can I let this disagreement between my friend and I affect me.  Instead of being mad, I need to bend my knee and pray, first that my own sins and short comings will be forgiven, and that my heart and the heart of my former ministry partner will also be changed.

Since we last celebrated Thanksgiving, I am sure each of us can think of the many ways we have been hurt by someone or something.  Let us all bend our knee, humble our spirit praying that the sins and short comings in our life will be forgiven and then pray for those that have hurt us.

Oh, trust me, I know this is much easier said than done.  It difficult to pray for another, especially when they have hurt you, or even you have hurt them.  But if Christ can pray for, and love those that crucified him. If Christ is truly our Lord and Saviour, then His example should become our desire. That would be, we love one another as he has loved us.

Therefore, for the family of my friend and for my friend I offer up a prayer today, that we both can forgive each other.  Instead of focusing on the negative that has happened, let us focus on all the wonderful blessings, that have come from working and sharing together over all these years.  May God richly bless you and keep you until the day of His return.

To each of you reading this, this morning, I pray for each of you, that you too can put away the negative thoughts toward friends, family, and coworkers. Instead remember the blessings God has bestowed upon us all.  So many that we cannot count and in ways we will not know or understand until His return in the clouds of glory.

This is my Prayer, Happy Thanksgiving and Blessings, to you all. Amen.

Submitting to God

Posted by The Bible In Your Hand on November 8, 2018
Posted in: Christian, Christianity, Religion, Spirituality, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , .

Submitting to God

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. James 4:7, 8.

There are multitudes today as truly under the power of evil spirits as was the demoniac of Capernaum. All who willfully depart from God’s commandments are placing themselves under the control of Satan. Many a man tampers with evil, thinking that he can break away at pleasure; but he is lured on and on, until he finds himself controlled by a will stronger than his own. He cannot escape its mysterious power. Secret sin or master passion may hold him a captive as helpless as was the demoniac of Capernaum.
Satan is the god of the world; his influence is to pervert the senses, control the human mind for evil, and drive his victims to violence and crime. He sows discord and darkens the intellect. The work of Christ is to break his power over the children of men. Yet how many in every department of life, in the home, in business transactions, and in the church, turn Jesus from their doors but let the hateful monster in.

Satan’s path is the broadest and the most deceptive. It is made to appear the most attractive, while it is hard, mystifying, and full of disappointment.

He who feels his own danger is on the watch lest he shall grieve the Holy Spirit and then draw away from God because he knows that He is not pleased with his course of action. How much better and safer it is to draw nigh to God, that the pure light shining from His Word may heal the wounds that sin has made in the soul. The closer we are to God, the safer we are, for Satan hates and fears the presence of God.

The subtlety of Satan will not decrease, but the wisdom given to men through a living connection with the Source of all light and divine knowledge will be proportionate to his arts and wiles.

Dear Friends

Posted by The Bible In Your Hand on September 21, 2018
Posted in: Christian, Christianity, Religion, Spirituality, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , .

Dear Friends,

It has been nearly two months since the last post was submitted to The Bible in Your Hand. It has truly been a blessed time and very busy time. Let me explain.

In the middle of May, I was invited to be a guest speaker at a church roughly forty miles from the church I am serving in. This is not unusual for I have been asked to speak in several area churches. What made this unusual is the Pastor of that church was present and waiting for me at the door when I got there. He and I had never met before and it was indeed a pleasure to get to know him.

A few weeks before I spoke at the above church, Kim Larsen who is a contributor to The Bible in Your Hand and I were talking. During the conversation Kim mentioned that she was praying that my wife and I would move to Northfield. I laughed and responded, “Sorry Kim, that will never happen. Why, why would you want us to move to Northfield?” Kim responded, “There is a church planted there. They are needing extra help and you would be a perfect fit for that church.”

“Sure Kim, you keep on praying, it’s not going to happen. Then I had the sermon and the Pastor was there. Afterword and Kim, her husband my wife and I sat around the table at Fellowship Dinner. We were really enjoying the company, when Pastor Birai sat down and started asking all kinds of questions It was 15 or 20 minutes into he conversation when He suddenly said, “I would like you to come and preach at the Northfield church. If they like you, and they will, I want you to come and be the Associate Pastor in the district making Northfield your primary area of focus.

Now, Kim had not told anyone of her prayer, not even Pastor Birai. She and her husband were just as shocked as my wife and I are.

To make a long story short, the last two months have been very busy, wrapping up things in our previous church and starting at the new church in Northfield.
God often moves in mysterious way, we just need to be open to His leading.

It should also be noted, that Kim and her husband Palmer have at the same time become much more involved in their local church. This has made it difficult for her to find time to contribute to “The Bible In Your Hand.”

I am not completely sure how all this will work out and would really like to continue posting to the website, but it will be more sporadic for a while. Hopefully within the next few weeks there will be the opportunity to begin posting on a regular basis.

Blessings,

Pastor Lester