Archive for October, 2009

This morning I decided I would take the opportunity to sleep in. When I did, I had a dream about waiting. I was in a restaurant waiting on my food. Evidently, I had been there for about two hours. Walter and the kids had already left. After I woke up, I thought that was such a silly dream because I would never wait that long. I would have left with Walter and the kids. Incidentally, we all went out to eat tonight and as we waited about 20 minutes for our server to take our order then I started to think I was going to live it out, haha. We didn’t. Once she came then everything else went smoothly.  While thinking about the dream later, I thought that is often how we treat God. We pray for something, we send out our request to Him, and we expect it to come quickly. If our answer doesn’t come quickly, then we just walk away from Him. We decide He isn’t paying any attention to us and start to seek our own ways to solve our problems. What we have to realize is that God is not our servant. We are His servants. Being His servants, we should understand that we don’t have the right to give Him orders. We are instead petitioning Him on our own behalf and only because He loves us (not because we deserve it) does he Always answer. He answers in perfect timing, not our timing. Our time schedules do not mean anything to Him because He sees the big picture. When we pray, let us remember to see it as actually standing in front of the Lord, as His servant, petitioning Him to respond on our behalf. I think we would find it a more humbling experience looking at it that way than as if we are sending out orders to be filled.

⁵ I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
and in his word I put my hope.

⁶ My soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen wait for the morning,
more than watchmen wait for the morning.

Psalms 130:5-6

Hey Guys and Gals,

I want to thank all of you that came out last night to help with Candy Land! We had a great time, and even though we’re all singing, “Lollipop, Lollipop, oh Lolli-Lollipop” and tired, rest knowing that it was a great success. The kids really enjoyed what you did for them.

We are looking into some things for next month’s mission, I hope that you all can come and be a part!

Rana

As Dorothy begins her journey to the Land of Oz, she happens upon a scarecrow, “just hangin’ around” .  She begins to talk with the Scarecrow, and discovers “he can’t make up his mind, because he doesn’t have a brain”.  Do we sometimes talk like the Scarecrow, putting ourselves down, basically calling ourselves stupid?  Or, perhaps, there may be those in your life, sometimes, unfortunately, your parents or friends, who say you are dumb—that you don’t know anything,  Ever heard, “Use your brain for what God gave you one for”?   Oftentimes, these words we hear or tell ourselves will indelibly leave a mark.  We’ ll soon believe “we won’t amount to anything, so why bother trying”.  But, I’ve got great news for you.  God’s word is better!     

 Proverbs 2:  ⁹ Then you will understand what is right and just
       and fair—every good path.

 ¹⁰ For wisdom will enter your heart,
       and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.

Book knowledge is great, but “heart” knowledge is better for eternal purposes.  Proverbs contains numerous scriptures regarding knowledge and wisdom.  This book was written (for the most part) by King Solomon, one of the wisest people who ever lived.  Since Proverbs contains 31 chapters, I know some pastors or spiritual leaders who have recommended reading one chapter of Proverbs a day each month.  Some great words of wisdom and disciplines can be gleaned from these truths.

Now, please don’t go and tell your parents that you’re finished with school, because you really don’t need book knowledge anymore—that’s not what I’m saying.  God wants us to be wise in all areas.  We need a good education in order to become more successful in the marketplace.  Some individuals may have learning disabilities, so this would not apply.  But, if you’re capable of learning, strive hard each day to learn something new.  God wants us to “use the brain He has created us with” to its full potential.

One of my favorite Disney movies of all time is “The Lion King”. I’m sure most everybody has seen this movie and understands the life of Simba. Simba was a young cub with a bright future ahead of him. He was prince of the kingdom, and after his father would pass on, Simba would become king. However, due to some unfortunate events, his father dies seemingly way too early. Simba, taking the blame upon himself and filled with regret, runs away from home. His life away from home would be filled with pleasures, luxury, and no responsibility. He would spend his time having fun, covering up the hurts of the past that would always lie inside his heart until he dealt with them. Simba could have been living the life of a king, but because of the hard past, he decided to live the life of a no-body. Until one day, he had to look deep inside his heart and remember who he really was. Simba learned a valuable lesson that day about the past:  “You can run from it, or you can learn from it!” Failures are not always a bad thing as long as we learn a lesson.

The life of Simba reminds me of the Parable of the Lost Son (Luke 15:11-32). Verse 20 states, “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.” I was reading this parable a few nights ago when I noticed something in verse 20 that would stand out to me. I have always focused on the father’s love of how he ran to his son and kissed him. This proves that every time you take one step towards God, He will take two steps towards you! However, this verse also says, “But, when he was still a great way off, his father saw him.”

There are times in our lives when we are in passionate pursuit of Jesus. Then, there are those times when we have chosen to run away. It is the moments like these that we feel empty, lost, and confused. We may even feel that we are very far away from our Father’s heart and His great love. You may feel far away, but how you feel doesn’t even matter, because the eyes of the Father are gazing at you with love and compassion.

Sometimes we just need to stop, take a look at our hearts and remember who we are. Know and proclaim, “I am in God, and God is in me!” You are a son/daughter of the most high God, and there is nothing that can ever change that. Your past and even your present might hurt but…He lives in you. So remember who you are, and to whom you belong!

Click on this link and check out a video clip from The Lion King
The Lion King: Remember Who You Are

     John Wesley, Charles Finney, Smith Wigglesworth, and David Brainerd are some of the men of God of the past couple hundred years that have so kept me driven to be like these men. There are times in history when God looks over the Earth and wants to find a person that he can release Holy Spirit Power to, in order to change the environment of a region or city and the course of history. When I read the biographies of these men, I was gripped with the power that they had on their lives, from just spending hours in prayer, reading and living a life of fasting and great devotion to God. Charles Finney would preach and the people would feel the weight of their own sin so heavy, they would fall out of their seats and cry for a savior. He walked into a factory in the mid 1800’s and just stood there and the power of God that was on him made the workers in the factory tremble, cry and repent, and he never said a word. Smith Wigglesworth was just on a train not saying anything, and the man next to him said, “Who are you sir?  You convict me of my sins”. There was something released into these men’s lives that made them carry the Holy Spirit in their words and presence. 

     I have never wanted to be a preacher, have a pulpit, or really do anything in a church that people would even see or hear me. But, I have wanted to carry and embody the power of God so the people in my workplace could be changed. So that God could use me to turn it upside down and even use me to turn this city upside down. For people to have a simple conversation with me and God back up what I say with power that totally changes them. Not that I would have anything to do with it, but like TJ had wrote in an earlier blog, “making myself available to God.” God speaking though me.

     God doesn’t use people that try to break down doors by themselves and manipulate situations to gain the praise of man and acceptance. He uses people that are FAITHFUL. He sees when you say “no” to the world and “yes” to Him. He sees your faithfulness even if no one does and when you don’t even see it yourself. God told me audibly in a dream that He’s “about to release a John Wesley / Charles Finney anointing”. Now “about to” could be a while for God because he’s been here forever. But my question is, “When He does release the anointing to take over a city or a workplace or your group of friends, will He find that you were faithful for years and will He use you?” Not saying you won’t go through dry or distracted times, but over the course of your life, will you be found faithful and available? Faithful in your love for him, faithful in prayer, denying yourself and saying “YES” to Him? I want you to have a vision for something more than you have right now. I want you to have a vision for something from heaven, given by God to the faithful and the devoted. If you’re a worship leader, then have a vision for God singing through you and changing the atmosphere of worship. Or, if you just work at Kmart, get a vision for God speaking through you in a little conversation here or there. The majority of people used in the Bible were “nobody’s”. Nobody knew them or thought they would be much in life. David, Mary, the disciples, and Abraham were all nobody’s as far as the world knew but they were faithful to God.

     If you want a vision for this, ask God for it.  Be faithful.  I recommend that you read the biographies of men and women of God of the past.

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”, Charles Dickens.  As the Eternal, Everlasting, Un-Created, Un-Challenged God was sitting on the throne outside of time, His eyes of Fire searched for a free willed heart to love Him.  He found none.  Oh, how the heart of the Most High grieved, for in His domain were thousands upon thousands of angels worshiping Him, but none loving Him in free will.  So the great author decided to write an epic love story about a God who would create humanity and then give humanity a choice.  The all powerful creator would make himself vulnerable to the decision of a man in order to obtain a heart that would love Him in free will.  He knew in order for free will to exist, a choice must be available. On the sixth day, He created man and placed him in the garden; and there, within the garden, placed the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (the choice).  And so the story begins.  Free will entered the earth. 

 Salvation is not a one time decision; rather, it is a daily decision to choose God over the desires of the world.  Five years ago, I decided, to decide, everyday for the rest of my life to follow Christ.  Please understand I am not claiming we fall in and out of salvation based on bad decisions, but following Christ is not a one time prayer.  It is a decision that is reflected in your everyday life.  Today, the choice lies in front of you.  “Choose you this day whom you will serve”.  Your free will gives you the choice to love God or not.  As you go throughout your day, you will have to decide whom you will serve.  Choose Him, because He first chose you!!!

In a previous post, someone referred to the scripture of Proverbs 16:9, “A man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” This verse took me back to about a year ago, when I went shopping with my father. Along with being in pastoral ministry, my father likes to do some farming. On this particular day, he was shopping for a new pair of work boots. You must understand that my father tends to be tight and always looks for the cheap way out. For years, he would get his work boots from local department stores, such as K-mart or Wal-Mart. In this search for new boots, it wasn’t long before we had pulled up in front of a J.C. Penny. I said to him, “Why in the world do you want work boots from a store in the mall? That will be pretty expensive!” He looked at me and said “Son, I’ve always bought cheap boots, but I’ve realized in my old age, that your feet have a lot to carry. They’ve got to carry the rest of your body!”

I was quickly reminded by the Holy Spirit of Psalms 119:105, “Thy word is a Lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” Our feet will take us anywhere that we want to go, but the only way we can plan that way and be directed by the Lord is by abiding in God’s word. When His word is dwelling richly in our lives (Colossians 3:16), we will not have to worry about which way to go. He will speak and turn our dark paths into light. From my own experiences, I’ve always said to young people, “If you are having trouble in your life hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit, just pick it up and read it.” So why not make life easier on your feet. Take care of them by lighting your path.

This is a cool rendition of an old VBS Song!! I know you all remember it, but not this way! Do you know this band comes from Somerset, KY? Click Here to see You Tube Video.

This Thursday night, Hillside will be doing something completely different than the usual. This Thursday is reserved for the Candy Trail that “Big Church” does every year (known before as “Trunk-r-Treat”).

As a youth group, we really are getting excited about giving and serving. So this week, we are going to be giving back to our church, and sowing into our community.

We’re going to have a “Candy Land” in the Hillside sanctuary. There will be different booths that you can volunteer at: face painting, ring toss, bowling, and some other fun stuff that we would love for you to come out and help with.

It’d also be amazing if you could come dressed as a cartoon character.

If you have any questions, or if you want to help out in getting the Hillside sanctuary set up e-mail me at rana.thompson@gmail.com.

Be there by 5:30! I’ll see ya’ll Thursday!

I’m sure if you were to Google “Wizard of Oz”, you would find hundreds (probably thousands) of blog posts regarding this infamous movie.  My thoughts may not be new to some, but they’re new to me.  And, since I have not read the other blogs regarding this, I’ll use Pastor Eric’s familiar phrase, “This is my sermon, so I’ll preach it the way I want.”  lol  

Growing up, as a child I remember watching the “Wizard of Oz” each year.  I’m not sure if it came out the same time yearly, (i.e., “The Ten Commandments”  is on TV around Easter, or “It’s a Wonderful Life” around Christmas).  I remember watching it in black & white before it went to Techni-color.   Or, it could have been, we didn’t have a color TV until I was about 9 yrs. old.  (Now, I’m telling my age).  But, irregardless, I remember it being one of  the highlights of the year.  Even after I had seen it several times, I still remember being scared of those flying monkeys.  It’s been years since I’ve seen this movie.  Maybe those monkeys had a long-term effect on me — lol.    

We are all on a journey to somewhere.  Some of us are following a career path.  Others are still on the school path (keep travelling — you’ll make it).  Still, some may have wandered off the path, wondering where they’re really going.  We have dreams; we have ambitions.  Just as Dorothy starts down “the yellow brick road”, with Toto by her side, she is “off to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz”.   She has a goal; she has a destiny.  What is your goal?  Where are you headed?  Do you have a traveling companion by your side?  Join me next week as we explore this journey together!