Hello to all my fine friends, I have set around here for the last two weeks and gone ,well ,crazy. My mom and sister think I might of slipped off the edge of sanity. I'm still here not sure if its sanity or insanity but I'm here. I have heard more excuses why I haven't started my job ,than a tax auditor on audit day . Oh well patience is a virtue and I don't have it. So I sit and think about things way to much probably, and end up with a lot of questions. I've been chatting with a friend about sickness and healing and what is God's will. In the process of studying I think I may have made more questions than answers.
I think I'll give different ways that healing could happen and go from there. Number 1. say a good christian person a little older in life gets very sick with some sort of disease. The elders of the church come and anoint him with oil and pray for him along with many other people. He is not healed physically and dies. Different ways to look at it. 1 God heard the prayers and chose to answer no. 2. The man had undisclosed sin in his life and God chose not to heal him. 3 . The people praying for him had sin in their lives therefore God didn't hear their prayers. 4. Or maybe all had a lack of faith and God didn't answer.
I agree sometimes God does chose to say no and when that happens we need to except it and go on. Now what if the man had sin in his life say some very deep rooted bitterness that he wouldn't really think about without some real soul searching to uncover it. Job talked about it Job 31:33 'If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom." He searched his heart to see if he had hidden something or forgotten to make something right with the Lord. David knew he needed to search his heart. Psalms 139: 23-24 23"Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts . 24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." If we don't dig deep into our hearts we can keep things buried there in our emotions that satan can use against us . It is a proven fact by medical doctors that stressors in a persons life such as anger, bitterness, hatred, unforgiveness can over time cause many kinds of diseases. I think we need to be very careful here about judging someone and saying they weren't healed because of sin in their life. That is judging , and we all know what happens to the people that judge others. But still there is the possibility. God and that person are the only ones that can truly know that answer.
Now point number 3 . Is it possible for God to answer prayers from people that have some sort of sin in their lives? If that is the case why do we need to worry about sin in our live if God still hears us. If He doesn't answer those prayers how many of us are truly getting thru to God. And that could also answer a lot of questions as to why more people aren't being healed today.
James 5:13-16 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. I read this verse a bunch of times and it says the prayer of faith heals the sick not the anointing. What is the prayer of faith? How can you pray in faith if your not sure it is God's will? Now number 4 , is it possible to have a lack of faith and not have prayer answered? I think so.
Christ could do few mighty works in Nazareth due to the people's lack of faith (Matthew 13:57-58) Talking about Jesus in Mat. 9:29 Then He touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith let it be to you."
Matthew 18:19 "Again I say to you that if two of you agree on Earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven." What does this verse mean? If you have a bunch of people praying for the same thing Mat. says it will be done for them. Does that mean we have such a lack of faith that even with a lot of people praying God won't answer or is there some way to explain this verse away to make it fit how we work today. I know go ahead start shooting at me. I'm a pretty literal guy . I try to take things at face value and if I do that with some of the verses I end up asking why. If God says he will do that and he doesn't there must be a reason. Or does a person have to go through many hours of explaining it away because we are not having it work for us anymore due to unbelief or other reasons.
Mark 16:17-18 "And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name . . . they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover I shortened it up but you get the jest of it. Again the same thing here. How can we explain this away. I truly don't know and thats why I'm asking. My understanding is God will always do what He says . I'm sure that is the case so that means I have a lot of things to learn about healing and God's will and prayer. I'm going to stop here for now cause I have a long ways to go . A little help would be very nice. Until next time
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Healed
This is a blog I got from my cousin Rhonda Schrock about an experience her dear dad had just not so long ago. He had called and told me about it . It was such and encouragement to me. This happened to him about the same time I had experienced healing in my legs. It helped me to understand more clearly that if we ask God for something and we have completely aligned ourselves with His will He will answer our prayer. We must have faith, then we must be totally submissive to Him, and thank Him always. I believe the church at the beginning witnessed many miracles in healing and many other areas of life , and that we can still have that today. I must have faith because without it my beliefs are useless. I want everyone to start praying for a revival to start across our christian communities. One where people will drop everything and ask God where He wants them and what His will is. Not like I have done, making up my mind and then trying to fit Gods will into it. I honestly believe if we don't all rethink our lives and learn to be truly crucified to Christ we will be like the lukewarm church in Revelations that God said he will spit them out. Is our short time here on earth worth more than eternity? Just because we don't stop and a seek God's will and live a crucified life for Him? Eternity is a long time to think about how you might have done things differently, instead of enjoying the full rewards that come from God. Sorry I got up on my little soap box again. This is the blog from Rhonda. Thanks for sharing it with us.
Faith and prayer lead to healing and Haiti
Note: This column was published in the 03/28/11 edition of The Goshen News. This writer is happy to share with you a glimpse of her parents - her father's adventurous spirit and her mother's behind-the-scenes supportive work. Enjoy!
If my father would just settle down and give us all a boring, uneventful year, we’d appreciate it. I’m serious.
If Action Jackson isn’t traipsing through the woods shooting bucks or hunting bears in Minnesota with his bow, he’s plotting a practical joke that will scare the bejeebers out of his victim. That, or he’s having a heart attack or a five-vessel bypass or a train wreck (from which, thank God, he walked away) or kidney stones or prostate cancer. Or diverticulitis.
It was back in February that he was hospitalized yet again with severe pain, nausea, vomiting, and fever. For months, he’d been making plans to go to Haiti with their church group. They’d gone down only last year, and Dad had left a piece of his heart with the Haitian people. Now, a mere two weeks before they were to leave, a grim-faced doctor was delivering news that sent his spirits plummeting.
It was diverticulitis, he said, and some diverticula had ruptured. They were looking at major surgery with the possibility of a colostomy.
“When the doctor was telling me what it was and how bad it was,” Dad said, “I asked him if he can fix it. He shook his head and said, ‘I hope.’”
“’I hope!’” he told us later. “Now if that don’t scare you back into last week. I thought church was out.”
Lying there in the hospital bed, hooked up to IVs, the realization began to set in. He would not be going to Haiti .
It was no surprise to us who know him that it was the Haitian children who stole Dad’s heart. In his pictures from last year’s trip, their chocolate brown eyes shine in coffee-colored faces. They’d loved the pale white foreigners who’d come bearing gifts, and they’d sprung from the woodwork at the slightest hint of activity in the compound.
In preparation for the team’s return, Dad had gotten copies of the Jesus movie in Haitian Creole in both the adults’ and children’s versions. “I felt real good about the Jesus films,” he said. “Ernest cannot change anyone’s life, but I felt the Jesus film would touch a lot of lives, and I wanted to be there.”
He continued. “It’s not that the others couldn’t have done very well without me.” But, he said, “It was real disappointing. I felt like the disciples on the way to Emmaus – where is Jesus? Where is He when things don’t make sense?” However, he added, “I did not want to go if the Lord did not want me to go or if I would have been a hindrance to God’s work.”
In the following days, he had plenty of time to think. Even in the struggle to accept the unwelcome truth, he began to sense the Lord speaking to him. “Finally,” he said, “I got the urge to tell Jesus, ‘Thank You for letting this happen. I know it was for a reason.’” And so he obeyed.
“I kept thinking in the back of my mind that the only way I could go is if the doc told me I was completely healed.”
To his great surprise, the doctor returned on Wednesday, a mere two days before the team was to leave, with astonishing news. The infection was gone, the pockets had healed, and while he would still require surgery down the road, he was cleared to go to Haiti .
“When he told me I was healed and that I could go,” Dad said, “It took awhile to sink in. And then it got scary. As sick as I was, what if it had happened there?
“The Lord kept asking me, ‘Would it not be a lack of faith if you don’t go since I healed you?’ It took a lot of faith.” Then he added dryly, “I’ve got a Ph.D. in faith.”
So it was that in spite of all the odds, my father went to Haiti where they built a house, put a roof on a porch, and introduced 70 to 80 Haitian children to the delights of roasted hot dogs (150) and toasted marshmallows (5 lbs.), courtesy of Dad.
He did get to be there when they showed the Jesus film to both children and adults, and he did get to see souls come to Christ. Worst never came to worst as he’d speculated, and the team didn’t have to throw him in the Côtes de Fer river after all.
Afterwards, he had this to say. “I still don’t think I would’ve been healed if I had not told Him thank you, though I may be wrong.
“I don’t care what happens. God is in control. God is great! It was a great lesson for me.”
Rhonda Schrock gives her mother, who stayed behind, a heartfelt shout out. She thinks that soldiering through an ice storm and a power outage all alone in Dad’s absence also required a certain amount of faith. To quote a grandson, “Joo job, Mama!” Good job.
Faith and prayer lead to healing and Haiti
Note: This column was published in the 03/28/11 edition of The Goshen News. This writer is happy to share with you a glimpse of her parents - her father's adventurous spirit and her mother's behind-the-scenes supportive work. Enjoy!
If my father would just settle down and give us all a boring, uneventful year, we’d appreciate it. I’m serious.
If Action Jackson isn’t traipsing through the woods shooting bucks or hunting bears in Minnesota with his bow, he’s plotting a practical joke that will scare the bejeebers out of his victim. That, or he’s having a heart attack or a five-vessel bypass or a train wreck (from which, thank God, he walked away) or kidney stones or prostate cancer. Or diverticulitis.
It was back in February that he was hospitalized yet again with severe pain, nausea, vomiting, and fever. For months, he’d been making plans to go to Haiti with their church group. They’d gone down only last year, and Dad had left a piece of his heart with the Haitian people. Now, a mere two weeks before they were to leave, a grim-faced doctor was delivering news that sent his spirits plummeting.
It was diverticulitis, he said, and some diverticula had ruptured. They were looking at major surgery with the possibility of a colostomy.
“When the doctor was telling me what it was and how bad it was,” Dad said, “I asked him if he can fix it. He shook his head and said, ‘I hope.’”
“’I hope!’” he told us later. “Now if that don’t scare you back into last week. I thought church was out.”
Lying there in the hospital bed, hooked up to IVs, the realization began to set in. He would not be going to Haiti .
It was no surprise to us who know him that it was the Haitian children who stole Dad’s heart. In his pictures from last year’s trip, their chocolate brown eyes shine in coffee-colored faces. They’d loved the pale white foreigners who’d come bearing gifts, and they’d sprung from the woodwork at the slightest hint of activity in the compound.
In preparation for the team’s return, Dad had gotten copies of the Jesus movie in Haitian Creole in both the adults’ and children’s versions. “I felt real good about the Jesus films,” he said. “Ernest cannot change anyone’s life, but I felt the Jesus film would touch a lot of lives, and I wanted to be there.”
He continued. “It’s not that the others couldn’t have done very well without me.” But, he said, “It was real disappointing. I felt like the disciples on the way to Emmaus – where is Jesus? Where is He when things don’t make sense?” However, he added, “I did not want to go if the Lord did not want me to go or if I would have been a hindrance to God’s work.”
In the following days, he had plenty of time to think. Even in the struggle to accept the unwelcome truth, he began to sense the Lord speaking to him. “Finally,” he said, “I got the urge to tell Jesus, ‘Thank You for letting this happen. I know it was for a reason.’” And so he obeyed.
“I kept thinking in the back of my mind that the only way I could go is if the doc told me I was completely healed.”
To his great surprise, the doctor returned on Wednesday, a mere two days before the team was to leave, with astonishing news. The infection was gone, the pockets had healed, and while he would still require surgery down the road, he was cleared to go to Haiti .
“When he told me I was healed and that I could go,” Dad said, “It took awhile to sink in. And then it got scary. As sick as I was, what if it had happened there?
“The Lord kept asking me, ‘Would it not be a lack of faith if you don’t go since I healed you?’ It took a lot of faith.” Then he added dryly, “I’ve got a Ph.D. in faith.”
So it was that in spite of all the odds, my father went to Haiti where they built a house, put a roof on a porch, and introduced 70 to 80 Haitian children to the delights of roasted hot dogs (150) and toasted marshmallows (5 lbs.), courtesy of Dad.
He did get to be there when they showed the Jesus film to both children and adults, and he did get to see souls come to Christ. Worst never came to worst as he’d speculated, and the team didn’t have to throw him in the Côtes de Fer river after all.
Afterwards, he had this to say. “I still don’t think I would’ve been healed if I had not told Him thank you, though I may be wrong.
“I don’t care what happens. God is in control. God is great! It was a great lesson for me.”
Rhonda Schrock gives her mother, who stayed behind, a heartfelt shout out. She thinks that soldiering through an ice storm and a power outage all alone in Dad’s absence also required a certain amount of faith. To quote a grandson, “Joo job, Mama!” Good job.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Mental Block
Its Saturday evening and I was just browsing through my emails. Thinking I should answer some of them and that I should write something. But it seems in the last week or two I have developed some sort of block in my brain that doesn't allow me to write anything.
The last I wrote I was all excited about this new job that was supposed to have started a couple of weeks ago. Well it still hasn't started. Why?I don't know. I don't really care other than I thought I had some direct leading from God. Well , now I have about a thousand questions running though my mind. Was it really God moving this direction ? Seemed like it . As you read in my last couple blogs everything just fell into to place, I thought , except for the main thing the job. Still hasn't happened. Why? I don't know, these guys call me almost everyday and say they're ready to meet then an hour later they call and have some excuse why they can't . I don't even call them . I haven't called them once. But they keep on. I don't know what to think. Then of course there is my old boss telling me to come and get the tools from CA. I would love to run down and get them but again you have to have money.
Where does that leave me , no clue. I talked to some friends that thought it was a test from God. I do believe that for sure. I'm not sure what the test is , even. I going with trusting God to show me.
I know my whole life was spent making sure I always was making money . If I ran low I wasn't working hard enough. Does God want me to learn to trust Him for it? Could be . Where do you draw the line between trusting God and being lazy ? Sure I can stay here with mom and take care of my gardening projects and spend lots of time in studying God's word. But why all the stuff about the job that I wasn't looking for anyway? I'm so confused. If anyone has the answer please send it right away. : ) Yes I have very little patience , maybe that is it. ?
I guess for now my plan is this. Wait, study God's Word more , pray more, and see if there is more in my life that God wants me to align with His will. I'm sure there is plenty of work to be done there. One place I was reading just a while ago said that in order for me to better understand God's will for my life I first must understand His purpose for my life. So my next little side study will be what is God's purpose for my life. Again suggestions would be of great help here.
So my new job is somewhat or indefinitely on hold. Maybe know more next week. Who knows. Do I really want to spent 30 or 40 hours a week working ? Instead of doing God work? No, but could I possibly do both? I'm waiting to see. Please pray that I will do the right thing. Like I've said before I truly believe I won't be happy unless I'm in the center of God's will. If I only knew where that was right now.
Hoping and Praying God's Will is accomplished.
The last I wrote I was all excited about this new job that was supposed to have started a couple of weeks ago. Well it still hasn't started. Why?I don't know. I don't really care other than I thought I had some direct leading from God. Well , now I have about a thousand questions running though my mind. Was it really God moving this direction ? Seemed like it . As you read in my last couple blogs everything just fell into to place, I thought , except for the main thing the job. Still hasn't happened. Why? I don't know, these guys call me almost everyday and say they're ready to meet then an hour later they call and have some excuse why they can't . I don't even call them . I haven't called them once. But they keep on. I don't know what to think. Then of course there is my old boss telling me to come and get the tools from CA. I would love to run down and get them but again you have to have money.
Where does that leave me , no clue. I talked to some friends that thought it was a test from God. I do believe that for sure. I'm not sure what the test is , even. I going with trusting God to show me.
I know my whole life was spent making sure I always was making money . If I ran low I wasn't working hard enough. Does God want me to learn to trust Him for it? Could be . Where do you draw the line between trusting God and being lazy ? Sure I can stay here with mom and take care of my gardening projects and spend lots of time in studying God's word. But why all the stuff about the job that I wasn't looking for anyway? I'm so confused. If anyone has the answer please send it right away. : ) Yes I have very little patience , maybe that is it. ?
I guess for now my plan is this. Wait, study God's Word more , pray more, and see if there is more in my life that God wants me to align with His will. I'm sure there is plenty of work to be done there. One place I was reading just a while ago said that in order for me to better understand God's will for my life I first must understand His purpose for my life. So my next little side study will be what is God's purpose for my life. Again suggestions would be of great help here.
So my new job is somewhat or indefinitely on hold. Maybe know more next week. Who knows. Do I really want to spent 30 or 40 hours a week working ? Instead of doing God work? No, but could I possibly do both? I'm waiting to see. Please pray that I will do the right thing. Like I've said before I truly believe I won't be happy unless I'm in the center of God's will. If I only knew where that was right now.
Hoping and Praying God's Will is accomplished.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Only God's Way Works
Its been a week since I last wrote and I keep putting it off. Last blog you'll remember me babbling on and on about this great job offer and how its so incredible how God works. Well me and my big mouth . God isn't wonderful He is unbelievably wonderful and awesome. Maybe not in my timing but in His. As you know I was supposed to meet last week about the job. Due to circumstances that couldn't be helped and others that could , the meeting has been cancelled a total of four times. Yes I was tweaking by the latest cancellation. I of course would never bellyache or complain about the cancelled meetings. Ha I gave having a fit a new meaning..... not really but I did get upset. So the two bosses called me yes you heard correctly, the bosses called me. Not sure why but it definitely helped my wounded spirit. They explained about sales and demands that they have to meet and scheduling being a complete nightmare for them . Basically told me to be patient. ... They told me that my job is already secured and a check is waiting for me when we meet. Also they had just purchased a new car for me . So now I have to scrape myself back up off the floor, since I had melted down in embarrassment. : ) My mouth is still hanging open , but I'm happy. Now I'm not only going to work on showrooms and warehouses I will also be building some sort of house /mansion. I guess its going to be very large and extravagant. Those are the most fun to build and oversee.
Now here I am sheepishly thanking the Lord that he is making such an unbelievable job available to me. I had been waiting , struggling, praying , not praying , feeling depressed , and feeling happiness when God revealed His love to me . Where to go ? I just wait at this point , so I'm sitting back thinking about the future
I thought about what God has been doing in my life . Everytime I would struggle with the Lord about giving up some part of my life, and how difficult it is for me to let go. Now some of the things I was having problems with ,seem so ridiculous. Like my car I'm not real sure if I'm getting anything out of it. I could be really upset about it. I was to begin with. Then I prayed and said Lord its your car you take it and I will not worry. What did I get out of it. Well lets see. Got an unbelievable job to start that has the much needed health insurance, I got a new car , one that I really like. And a boss that will fill my tank for me as needed. Wow seems like a lot . Right?
The story keeps going, today I got a call from my old boss . I didn't answer but he left me a message . Basically he told me that for the money he owed me and the situation he was in, he wanted me to come down to San Fran and pickup all the tools from the shop where I worked. You have to understand these are industrial tools and have prices that match. He said that would even us up for a bunch of money I thought I would never see again. I never even thought for a minute there would be any way he could repay me .Yet God in His wonderful way takes care of absolutely everything. But first He wanted my love and my fully surrendered life. I am completely amazed at what God is doing . A little scared wondering whats around the next corner but feel safe in His care. I feel I need to get down on my knees and ask God to forgive me for being such a whiner. And being so impatient. God's timing is perfect, as life unfolds God reveals His will one day at a time. Only what I need each day. If I can learn that and stop trying to do God's job for Him life will be so much simpler for me.
Crazy day, crazy week , but an awesome and wonderful, loving God. Until next time
Now here I am sheepishly thanking the Lord that he is making such an unbelievable job available to me. I had been waiting , struggling, praying , not praying , feeling depressed , and feeling happiness when God revealed His love to me . Where to go ? I just wait at this point , so I'm sitting back thinking about the future
I thought about what God has been doing in my life . Everytime I would struggle with the Lord about giving up some part of my life, and how difficult it is for me to let go. Now some of the things I was having problems with ,seem so ridiculous. Like my car I'm not real sure if I'm getting anything out of it. I could be really upset about it. I was to begin with. Then I prayed and said Lord its your car you take it and I will not worry. What did I get out of it. Well lets see. Got an unbelievable job to start that has the much needed health insurance, I got a new car , one that I really like. And a boss that will fill my tank for me as needed. Wow seems like a lot . Right?
The story keeps going, today I got a call from my old boss . I didn't answer but he left me a message . Basically he told me that for the money he owed me and the situation he was in, he wanted me to come down to San Fran and pickup all the tools from the shop where I worked. You have to understand these are industrial tools and have prices that match. He said that would even us up for a bunch of money I thought I would never see again. I never even thought for a minute there would be any way he could repay me .Yet God in His wonderful way takes care of absolutely everything. But first He wanted my love and my fully surrendered life. I am completely amazed at what God is doing . A little scared wondering whats around the next corner but feel safe in His care. I feel I need to get down on my knees and ask God to forgive me for being such a whiner. And being so impatient. God's timing is perfect, as life unfolds God reveals His will one day at a time. Only what I need each day. If I can learn that and stop trying to do God's job for Him life will be so much simpler for me.
Crazy day, crazy week , but an awesome and wonderful, loving God. Until next time
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