The Wave!!

I’ve been going to Cornerstone for almost 3 years now and anything discussed in service never surprises me anymore. Today we spoke about the question: How Important Is the Story of Jesus? What a crazy thing to ask, right? Well only if you know Jesus, do you know that this story is pretty important. Sadly there are so many people who don’t understand that question; Pastor Linn talked about how God strategically puts people in our life so that we may be a light to them. A City on a Hill as Jesus said in the Bible. (Matt 5:14-15) As Linn was talking about being a light, two songs came to mind, both I sang as a child, 1. Give me Oil in my Lamp, Keep me Burnin, Give me Oil in my Lamp I pray, Halleluiah. And the 2nd was This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine!! After the sermon we wrote names of people we felt God had put in our lives to be a light to, prayed over them, then gave them to God by putting them in baskets at the front of the sanctuary. We are to pray for these people for 30 days, then invite them to the Harvest Festival @ Church as well as a service one Sunday.
On the way home I began to think, of the sermon and of my chosen people. I began to fear. Honestly I hate witnessing, not because I am ashamed of Jesus, but because I have always been afraid I would misrepresent him with my words. There are so many people who are Biblically and Religiously intelligent that if I were to speak of the word of God, they would probably out speak me. As I grew up, I heard about how being a witness for God meant living like Jesus, speaking with your life and not with your words. I was a little relieved, now I don’t have to talk, I can just walk…who knew walking the walk could be so hard. In fact one of the people whose name I put on my list called me out once, we were talking about a mutual friend, and he told me “Is the way you’re talking the way a ‘Christian’ talks, should you be saying these things. Guilt washed over me and I apologized, but my friend had already seen this particular sin in me and he doesn’t understand that people mess up, he just understands if you claim to be a Christian, you must be perfect!
Do you remember the 1st ever Christians, In Acts 2 it describes how they waited and prayed for the Holy Spirit and when they received it, they spoke in different tongues and acted so crazy people thought them to be drunk. In Acts 1:8, Luke reminds us that Jesus says, You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” This statement was not only meant for them but for us. First of all I don’t remember the last time I was at a service where people spoke in tongues, is that something we still believe in? Is this the type of Holy Spirit Fill we need before we are ready to go to the ends of the earth? Why do we not every day meet together in prayer, why have we changed, these people were serving God and being killed for it, would You Do That? I know I am not the only person intimidated by speaking the gospel, I want to know what has happened to us as Christians. In Acts 2:42 It states and is in regards to The Fellowship of Believers: They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
Pastor Linn used a clip in church today, it was from the movie The Day After Tomorrow. (here is the clip shown in church..http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJn261UAdaA&feature=related)…however this clip is also a good example (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQDSAiPiEDU)In the first clip a huge Wave is being washed over New York city and a young man runs toward the wave to save his loved one, Pastor Linn asked us, if we would run toward the Wave of the enemy to save those around us, maybe not even a loved one, but anyone if you knew they would spend eternity in Hell, would you get them to higher ground, Would you be the lamp burnin in the window, the City on a Hill? I pray my fear subsides and God would be victorious and glorified as I pray for my friends!

TIME!!!

I remember being a little girl living in Texas. Every summer up until the age of about 10 my brother and I would come to Arizona and visit my grandparents, aunts and uncles for about a month. Every Saturday my grandmother would wake us up super early and we would help her deliver Avon books. We then would go to McDonald's for breakfast! My grandmother was very independent and was a top Avon rep, winning many awards. She was very religious and strong, we always went to church and you never double crossed grandma, unless you were ready for your life to come to an end!!! My grandmother has been recently diagnosed with Dementia, my uncle is taking care of her. I spent some time with them today and it was like watching him take care of a child, there are times where she doesn't remember who anyone is. Today we went to the cemetery to visit her parents and her husband, my grandpa. She put the flowers in her parents vase and she began to sob, like a child, crying for her daddy..my uncle held her, I too began to cry, it was so sad. We then put flowers in her husbands vase and she had no reaction, my mother later told me she didn't think grandmother remembered being married. She knows she has 4 kids, but does not remember her husband. Time goes by so quickly..treasure every moment, with every person God gives you!!