Man! What a weekend! I don't know how all this had happened. Even though, I was a bit behind with my studies for yesterday's lessons, God managed to help me through it all. It was a tough Friday helping the Flavin family move from one house to another. They have alot of heavy stuff, especially the dining room set which was extremely heavy. We just never thought we would accomplish all this heavy stuff. But with God's power and might, He prevailed!
Saturday was a busy day, too! Talking with one of our sis-in-Christ on VP (which is called a videophone that the deaf people uses to see each other as a phone call!). It's a neat way to be in touch with someone and literally seeing them. We talked a good hour or so about various issues that needs to be addressed. I pray as she walks through the "valley of the shadow of death", she will fear no evil for she ought to know His rod and staff will always be with her! (Ps. 23) Then I went to the store to get more groceries to feed our hungry children! In the meantime, I bought my wife a venti Chai, 6 pumps! Then we had to get our home cleaned, again and again, before a couple of people come and look around.
The men zoomed into the beautiful Shennadoah mountains to prepare for whitewater rafting. It was a fabulous day and we really enjoyed the time together as brothers! We were in awe of God's creation gazing at the tall trees on the mountains (it's actually a foothill). The water wasn't that rough due to lack of rain this month but it was extremely nice. Overall, it was a fun time together as men of God. So I didn't get home til 9ish and was already hitting the Bible getting ready for the anticipated Sunday services.
Sunday, time to get up and go to church. Not one bit was I tired but I was pumped up and ready to glorify God! Yesterday, we had a handful of visitors attending the deaf worship service. God bless them for being with us and wanted to assure them that God loves them! One interesting verse, in relation to my lesson on, "High/Low Maintenance" that I showed to all those in attendance is (in several translations) Proverbs 18:9. I have given a lot of thought about this blog (prayer and bible reading):
"A lazy person is as bad as someone who destroys things." (NLT)
"Whoever is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys." (ESV)
"One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys." (NIV)
Regardless of all the pressures and plans we endured through the week, weekend, God expects everyone to be present to worship Him and be ready to serve. Sunday is a awesomely important time to come together and give Him the glory. Not only Sunday is a time we make ourselves available to serve Him among others (move, visitations, fellowship, preparations for Sunday and more...). God is and will always be disappointed with those whom He called have become a "slacker".
He warns us in His Word that such "slackers" are people who destroys not only themselves but His church. Their influence is a grave spiritual danger to other brothers and sisters in Christ. They are providing stumbling blocks to both, the weak and the strong, but more on the weak. They are hindering their friends and childrens' desire to know and serve God. They are hurting our chances of reaching out to others because they will know who attends church but do not set a good example to them (visitors) then questioned why they should go to church if it doesn't make a "difference"! Ouch! I have seen people tell me this after they have seen and learned whom some of you are (within the church) and your example isn't Christ-like! Therefore, slackers are people who tremendously HINDERS THE GROWTH OF HIS CHURCH!
Regardless of just about any kind of pressures you had struggled with, God expects your presence. If you've had a whirlwind weekend like mine, worship is a way of life and we're called to put ourselves in His presence!
5 comments:
Shenandoah River is an awesomely beautiful and God-given creation to do some rafting on. I've been on that river many times canoeing, tubing and rafting ... and even camped right alongside the banks of that river. Just BEAUTIFUL out there. Glad you guys had a good time.
I had to work for Gallaudet's new student orientation on Sunday morning and was not too thrilled about missing the worship. BUT ... I met up with one new student's parents who are strong Christians. Her father carries around with him a small but thick bible in his pants pocket! I had breakfast with them yesterday and this morning and wow ... I am feeling so happy just because I sat with them. We shared our stories of experiencing God's providences in our lives and then we ended up praying before we had to get up and go our separate ways. They want me to take their daughter to visit some churches in the area. :) So I'll bring her to our church one Sunday! I've known her for a few weeks because I've been tutoring her sign language. I look forward to being her close Sister in Christ!
Everyone, please pray for Gallaudet University. Many people here are not showing Jesus. Yesterday someone was passing out flyers inviting the new students to some local bars off campus. I need to trust God in watching over the new innocent and eager students go to these types of parties where alcohol and drugs are more than likely to be distributed. Please help me pray for these new students, especially this gal whose parents are entrusting me in helping her find a local church here.
Monica
Monica,
Amen! Pray that God's Word be spread like wildfire among the whole D.C. area (WAMAVA!!)! :) Glad you had a time spent with another servant of God yesterday and today! Pray for their daughter as well as the rest of the students at Gally.. Sad to see people passing out "death sentence" to students. They are blind guides that are leading the blind!!
This morning I was sitting alone in the college cafeteria. I could see a conversation going on between 2 students at a distance several tables away in front of me. They were talking about Mormon religion. The guy is apparently a Mormon. He was saying that he wanted to be engaged to his girlfriend and then travel as a missionary but was told that if he gets engaged, he could not become a missionary. I'm not sure if he's actually engaged now. The girl he was talking to is apparently a "lost soul" because she was saying that she doesn't believe in God until she SEES him. I didn't see what the guy said in response. Sigh.
Then I left the cafeteria to walk to my office in another building. As I entered my building, I came across a flyer (another one) on a table in the hallway. The flyer is an invitation to a party offering $5 admission for a binge drinker, $2 admission for a non-binge drinker. It also says that hard liquors will also be provided and that cash door prizes and many other kinds of prizes will be given for best binge drinkers. I showed this to my co worker and he made a good point by saying that we can let them learn NOW rather than later in the real world. But it's so sad that these kids are passing out flyers inviting the vulnerable ones to self-destruction. This is one of the many good reasons why Gallaudet needs our prayers so badly.
Monica
By the way, Gallaudet strictly enforces the "no alcohol" policy in the dorms 24/7. So these flyers are invitations to parties off campus, near my home! I hear loud music playing right next door to me at 3 am. Luckily when I'm asleep, I don't hear the music at all (one of the nice advantages of being deaf ... smile)
Monica
That's college life! However, Christians are to invade the college campus with the "Christ-like" example and the light of Christ to shine on them. They will know something is missing when they see something about us, IF WE SHOW IT IN A HUMBLE WAY! :)
Our sincere prayers for the students at Gallaudet!
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