Good day dear friends.
We continue to ask prayer for Ed Lyon who remains in ICU at CTMC. Ed was such an active guy, hunting even as late as recently, so this has been difficult for his family.
Our Wednesday night classes got started last night and we had some folks there, but I invite you to check out all the classes being offered. The only cost is the cost of the book for most classes and if you can't afford the book you don't have to buy it! Katrina made a great beef stew (drove all the staff mad while it was being made!) and it was delicious! Every Wednesday for the next five weeks at 5:30 is the meal, then the classes begin at 6 until 7. Come out and learn something!
I had the pleasure of being with the youth of our church yesterday from about 4:15 until 6. As kids arrived I would hit them with questions to get them to begin speaking and somehow we started talking about ghosts and we turned the discussion into a Bible study about that subject going into 1 Samuel 28. I told the kids that there was a ghost story in the Bible and it would also answer a question that I had posed to them, "Where did the mother-in-law on Bewitched get her name?" Some of the kids knew of that ancient tv show, others had seen the recent movie. The adult sponsors even knew the name of the actress who played her. The answer was Endora, and it is in this passage that we find a witch at Endor. Saul was king, albeit one alienated from God at that point and he panicked when God no longer spoke to him and sought out the services of those whom he had banished from the land, witches, or as most modern versions of the Bible call "mediums" and "spiritists." Saul asks his men to find a witch and one is found in the town of Endor. Saul disguises himself as he visits and asks her to call up the ghost of Samuel, who had died. Saul believes that in Samuel he can find an answer about the pending battle between his troops and those of the Philistines. The witch calls up this ghost and then screams for she now knows that Saul is the king who has outlawed people like herself and fears for her life. Saul says nothing will happen to her for doing this favor for him. The ghost that comes up does not have good news for Saul and in fact tells him that Saul and his sons would join him tomorrow. Yes, I did tell the kids the old joke about the two golfers that made a pact for the one who died first to find out if there was golf in heaven. The first one dies and appears to his still living friend and says, "There is golf in heaven and guess what, you and I have a tee time tomorrow at 2!"
We learned a couple of things from this study: Stay in touch and obedient to God. Saul's downfall was that very thing. He was not obedient to God. He reached a point where he believed his kingly manner and experience had taught him enough things to not have to touch base with God. The kids could relate to "Call me when you get there," that most parents ask of their kings. God asks the same of us, "Stay in touch, let me know if I can help." The other thing was that as attractive or fascinating as the occult may appear, there is a danger to mess around with stuff that is not of God. I know the Harry Potter novels and movies have exposed kids to that side of things and even makes it look exciting and adventerous, the truth is that in real life, the occult is all negative and not at all about God.
I shared how I knew of one pastor who was facing a move and he was so panicked about where he might be heading that when he left his church the church discovered about $800 in psychic line charges. If we belong to God and trust God, God will bless us and we need not be afraid.
Next week the youth program will start at 4:15 and I urge all youth from the church to be there at that time.
PRAYER: God of goodness and love, help me today trust You more. Lead me to obedience in all things. I ask this in Jesus' Name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
e.v.
We continue to ask prayer for Ed Lyon who remains in ICU at CTMC. Ed was such an active guy, hunting even as late as recently, so this has been difficult for his family.
Our Wednesday night classes got started last night and we had some folks there, but I invite you to check out all the classes being offered. The only cost is the cost of the book for most classes and if you can't afford the book you don't have to buy it! Katrina made a great beef stew (drove all the staff mad while it was being made!) and it was delicious! Every Wednesday for the next five weeks at 5:30 is the meal, then the classes begin at 6 until 7. Come out and learn something!
I had the pleasure of being with the youth of our church yesterday from about 4:15 until 6. As kids arrived I would hit them with questions to get them to begin speaking and somehow we started talking about ghosts and we turned the discussion into a Bible study about that subject going into 1 Samuel 28. I told the kids that there was a ghost story in the Bible and it would also answer a question that I had posed to them, "Where did the mother-in-law on Bewitched get her name?" Some of the kids knew of that ancient tv show, others had seen the recent movie. The adult sponsors even knew the name of the actress who played her. The answer was Endora, and it is in this passage that we find a witch at Endor. Saul was king, albeit one alienated from God at that point and he panicked when God no longer spoke to him and sought out the services of those whom he had banished from the land, witches, or as most modern versions of the Bible call "mediums" and "spiritists." Saul asks his men to find a witch and one is found in the town of Endor. Saul disguises himself as he visits and asks her to call up the ghost of Samuel, who had died. Saul believes that in Samuel he can find an answer about the pending battle between his troops and those of the Philistines. The witch calls up this ghost and then screams for she now knows that Saul is the king who has outlawed people like herself and fears for her life. Saul says nothing will happen to her for doing this favor for him. The ghost that comes up does not have good news for Saul and in fact tells him that Saul and his sons would join him tomorrow. Yes, I did tell the kids the old joke about the two golfers that made a pact for the one who died first to find out if there was golf in heaven. The first one dies and appears to his still living friend and says, "There is golf in heaven and guess what, you and I have a tee time tomorrow at 2!"
We learned a couple of things from this study: Stay in touch and obedient to God. Saul's downfall was that very thing. He was not obedient to God. He reached a point where he believed his kingly manner and experience had taught him enough things to not have to touch base with God. The kids could relate to "Call me when you get there," that most parents ask of their kings. God asks the same of us, "Stay in touch, let me know if I can help." The other thing was that as attractive or fascinating as the occult may appear, there is a danger to mess around with stuff that is not of God. I know the Harry Potter novels and movies have exposed kids to that side of things and even makes it look exciting and adventerous, the truth is that in real life, the occult is all negative and not at all about God.
I shared how I knew of one pastor who was facing a move and he was so panicked about where he might be heading that when he left his church the church discovered about $800 in psychic line charges. If we belong to God and trust God, God will bless us and we need not be afraid.
Next week the youth program will start at 4:15 and I urge all youth from the church to be there at that time.
PRAYER: God of goodness and love, help me today trust You more. Lead me to obedience in all things. I ask this in Jesus' Name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
e.v.
