| Calling on His Name Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh. At that time men began to call on the name of the LORD (Gen 4:26 NIV). This is the first reference to prayer in history. Since the fall, Mankind has always had a yearning for a re-connection with God. Just as you would call out someone’s name to get their attention, we call out His name, “Praying” that He will hear and look upon our circumstances. I have wondered why God chose the way of prayer. I have come to realize that much like everything else in worship, the purpose of prayer is that God will get the glory due Him by the saints. It is not enough for us to just expect God to act in a way that is good and bring about His will. He doesn’t have to use us in any way. He knows that if we do not verbalize it to Him, we will often forget Him. Even more, if we don’t verbalize it corporately (agreeing together in prayer) we miss the astounding opportunity of glorifying God together when we see His hand. The significance of Eiljah’s prayer at the drenched altar (1Kings 18) is in the fact that he spoke it in the hearing of all of Israel and it provided a platform for God’s glory. He prayed, “… let it be known today that you are God in Israel…and that you are turning their hearts back again.” Their response at the Lord’s answer? “The Lord, He is God. The Lord, He is God” Without the prayer, Elijah could be mistakenly glorified instead of God. Watch and pray… then… pray and watch. Phil Mehrens The celebrations of Thanksgiving
and Christmas remind us of family, traditions, movies, food, and songs.
Since the feasts of old testament times, people all over the world have
created times of remembrance and celebration for various reasons. There
are so many established “national days of (whatever)” that it is hard to
keep track of them all without a calendar program. Add to these…
personal birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, graduations, etc. and
almost every day could be a celebration of something. The trouble is
that when every day is a celebration, no day seems special. Add that to
our hectic schedules and the preparation, the buying of gifts, or the
tradition treasured in childhood sometimes becomes a chore. Even family
get lost in the rush. Remember the story of Mary at Jesus’ feet and
Martha stuck in the kitchen? I’m not sure what the answer is but I think
it lies somewhere in “one thing is needful” and choosing the “better
part” formula. Narrow down the choices (celebrations, food items, number
of gifts) Simplify the preparation Focus on the people not the
production Have the conversations you have always meant to have. Speak
the words that could alter the life of your child. Life's Questions For ages philosophers have been debating three questions.
This search sets us apart from every other creature. These questions constantly beckon to us from adolescence, to mid-life crisis, to deathbed apprehension. They are often rephrased as “What will I be in life?” “Am I doing something significant? “Does this really matter?” Depending on how we deal with these questions, we life a life of thankfulness or regret. “I wish I had done more of this or that.” “I wish I had made something of myself.” Through this identity fog comes the clear Word of God. Don’t you love verses that tell us “whys” and purposes of God?
We are designed for the specific purpose of giving glory to God. Being created in the image of God is a profound thing. We have:
What an honor to be sons and daughters, worshippers of the living God! Phil Mehrens |