From the desk of Jamey Herd comes this news: Pleasant Ridge Baptist had a nice crowd for Sunday service. There were several visitors and I would like to say welcome and we hope you come back. Pastor Carl brought a good message from the book of Luke. Laveta Ray, Susan Dugan and Angie Modar had eight little ones for Children’s Church.
While everyone here has been enjoying this winter weather I have been in Houston, Texas visiting my sister for over two weeks. We had several cold mornings there and people were complaining about how cold it was. I thought it was rather nice and the days warmed up into the 40′s to 60′s. Personally I dreaded coming back to the real cold. I enjoyed seeing my nieces and nephews and their families. We attended three junior high basketball games and a high school wrestling match. I guess the least thing I enjoyed was the fast paced traffic. My great-nephew kept saying “Aunt Jamey, you have to go faster” even though I was doing the speed limit. I went with my sister to the community center on two occasions. She goes to the art group they offer there. I met some really nice ladies in the art group and the quilt group. They also had an aerobics class on the days we went. Then the day before I came home, Kroger Grocery Store offered a free Seniors Breakfast. They served eggs, bacon, sausage, cereal, biscuits, fruit, pancakes, coffee and orange juice. What more could you ask for? The Pharmacist came in and offered free medicine boxes and told them about the shot for shingles. I thought this was a really nice thing for the grocery store to do for the seniors in their area. I also attended Metropolitan Baptist Church while there and heard a missionary from Haiti speak the last Sunday.
It looks like a week without falling weather here. The snow may be hanging on for another one though as the old timers would say. I need to get some bird feeders out. I enjoy watching the birds from my kitchen window.
Until next week, stay warm and dry and may God Bless you and keep you safe.
Susan Sinclair sends us this news: Some friends and I were visiting with each other the other day and the topic of health for the believer came up, and I said with no doubt or hesitation that our Father wants us all to be healthy, and that scripture points to that truth. I quickly mentioned the scriptures that pointed specifically to the work Jesus has done to provide healing for all believers. Listening quietly, one of my friends made a very sincere inquiry saying, “What about [our friend who is fighting cancer] …..?”
I smiled. “I love [our friend]. And God wants him healthy, too.”
Those who have been following this column may have noticed that I am an advocate of the healing power of God. Some readers may have experienced God’s healing power personally, through an answer to prayer in themselves or a loved one, but most readers will agree that they have prayed and prayed for God to heal them or a loved one and have not seen any healing manifest and that can be discouraging, but that does not mean that God wants us sick – God wants us healthy. Some may have prayed and prayed, seeing no results so they shrug their shoulders and think it must be God’s will that they remain that way. Not seeing results only causes confusion about knowing what the will of God is, and that is a trap that the devil is happy to see us fall into.
For example, let’s say I am teaching a young person how to drive a car, or better still, let’s say you are teaching them to drive a car. You go through the steps: seat belt on, parking brake on, transmission in park, turn ignition, etc, etc. Your student is ready to pull out and you know they need to take the parking brake off. You may allow them to try to pull out just to feel the experience, and if they don’t figure out what they are doing wrong you’ll say, “Release the parking brake”. No big deal. It is all part of the learning process. But ultimately, if the brake is not released, the car doesn’t move normally no matter how much the student wants it to move.
I’m just showing ways to release the parking brake on receiving healing.
The love of God is my motivation for telling others about His provision for our (Christians) healing. But, so many of my brothers and sisters and their loved ones are struggling with illness and disease, and they love God! How is it possible that a person can love God with all their heart and still suffer from illness? Hopefully, with God’s help, I will be able to shed some light on this very confusing topic. If you reject outright that God’s healing is for you, then I can’t help you. But, if what you are doing is not getting the desired results, and you are willing to consider God’s way (according to the bible) to receive healing, this will help. On the other hand, if your prayers get answered every time and you and your friends receive healing every time you pray, halleluiah and congratulations brothers and sisters.
IS THIS SOMETHING NEW?
No. The authority I use is the scripture itself, so the information has been available since the bible has been in print. In my opinion, (which is just my opinion), there has been reluctance to seek this revelation because, as mentioned earlier, many are confused, not knowing that God wants people healthy. Misunderstood scriptures have played a big part in the confusion, and I will prove with scripture as we go through the weeks that the devil is the one who makes us sick, not God. God is a good God. God is the rightly judging judge, not the tormenter.
What is a person to believe if they greatly desire to be healed but are stuck with some illness after years of asking God to heal them?
Here is the truth that may surprise some readers. Who we may call the most spirit- filled, God loving, prayer warrior, saintly Christian; who volunteers with the church, pays their tithes, and goes to church every Sunday; can beg God for healing and they often time will get minimal results if any at all. So, after trying and getting no results, we have learned to just settle for what we have even if it is less than what we desire, and we even have debates with each other to see whose aches and pains and sicknesses are worse. The Christian today (in general only) gets an illness and it is mentioned in church, and our heads shake and our tongues start clucking and we pray for them to get better as best as we can, knowing God hears our prayer, but that he may just decide to leave them sick, who knows? We’ll all know by and by. No offense intended. I’m just trying to get religion out of the way of biblical truths. Over the years our traditions have gotten in the way of the beautiful simplicity of the Gospel (Good News).
No wonder people are confused about God’s will for our health! I was right there in that boat for years, thinking that God would heal people if He wanted to, not realizing He loves us so much that he has provided for our health as much as he has provided for our eternal life through Christ. He wants to heal you and me, because he loves us and as we go along each week there will be another part to consider as we grow into in our relationship with God. Until next time, God bless you and your loved ones.
Carol Boeddeker-Genet here, thinking about how I didn’t want to get up this morning. The heater is turned low at night so the house is cold and I give thanks for an electric blanket, also on low. As I laid there multiples of thoughts raced through my head but I remembered to give thanks to the Almighty that I am blessed with a roof over my head and this warm spot for snuggling and thinking. Far too many of God’s children around this world are not so blessed.
I read a book recently that stays with me. In it the author reflects on man’s meager beginnings before the discovery of metals for his tools, before the discovery of silicone and the eventual making of computers. The author reminds that in this day and age most everything we have and do is dependent on computer chips from our vehicles to banking, to medicine, to education, to food production and to food storage and transportation. Yet, as much as we depend on these computers, they cannot think for themselves. It takes mankind to put information into these many computers and I’m not so sure I trust what information is entered and what information comes out. My trust is in the Lord and in prayer.
A recent article came out that the Missouri General Assembly is now considering replacing state income taxes, which would severely increase sales taxes on all goods and services the citizens of Missouri need, calling it a “Fair Tax”. To keep the state “running” this “Fair Tax” would need to be about 11% on food, medicine, utilities, new homes, as well as services, including child care, nursing homes, assisted living, doctor’s office visits, legal counseling, financial services, private schools, and even funerals. This would be costly to those with good incomes but it would be financially devastating to those living on the edge, and federal taxes will still be in effect. Thus far nine initiative petitions for this change have been filed with the Secretary of State’s office. Please keep this information in mind.
As Jamey, Susan and I often wish, may you be blessed with health.
