Praise the Lord
for all the days the Lord gives us on earth to live and to love. He gives the
days on earth that we might bear much fruit in His Kingdom. We are called out
from the world and we are sent out into the world to worship and serve Him. The
Christian life is a marvelous adventure, an exciting journey that is meant to
last an entire life-time! Yet, we are most often content to float in a sea of
mediocrity, settling for second best or less.
Praise the Lord
for the seasons that Lord does give us. I love Vivaldi's "Four Seasons". I was
talking to my young nephews the other day and asked which is their favorite
season. Both said the Fall season. I like to call it "Autumn". Humans tend to
focus on just 1 or 2 seasons of our lives, and neglect that rest. Too often, we
live active and fruitful Spring & Summer seasons and then act like life is
over. We never really adjust to or accept Autumn and/or Winter. Instead of
thriving during those seasons, we sometimes prefer to spend our time
proverbially locking ourselves indoors and wistfully remember the Spring and
Summer that no longer exist.
Within the span of our lives, God has appointed us many seasons - a right time for everything and a purpose for every time. The way of discipleship, love and worship of the Risen King is to accept His schedule and plans for our whole lives - and to order them accordingly!
Within the span of our lives, God has appointed us many seasons - a right time for everything and a purpose for every time. The way of discipleship, love and worship of the Risen King is to accept His schedule and plans for our whole lives - and to order them accordingly!
Some time ago I
read about a study done by a Harvard professor, a study on attitudes of aging in
Africa. He found that 100-year-old tribal men who were actively swimming in cold
waters, riding horses, and extremely active in their community. In that culture,
aging did not mean deteriorating or even slowing down. The mind-set was that the
older a person become, the more they grow in wisdom, respect, ability, value and
even glamour. If fact, it was found that this positive attitude about aging
seemed to produce healthy physiological effects on the cellular makeup of their
bodies!
Yet, in our culture, we collectively perceive aging as “bad.” We see as becoming less useful, able or purposeful. Unfortunately, too many of us have bought into this negative concept of aging. There is a tremendous and sad trend in this country that no matter how good a person’s health or how sharp their mind, Americans tend to quit life when they retire. We must live with the perspective that our best years are never in the past. . . Matthew 11:28-30: "Come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light".
When you feel like quitting on life, consider this devotion by Charles Swindoll:
“ Every achievement worth remembering is stained with the blood of
diligence and scarred by the wounds of disappointment. To quit, to
run, to escape, to hide - none of these options solve anything. They
only postpone the acceptance of, and reckoning with, reality.
Churchill put it well, “Wars are not won by evacuations.” . . .Are you giving thought to giving up? Considering the possibility of quitting?. . .
Don’t! . . The only time the Lord ever used the word “easy” was when He referred to a yoke.”
Psalm 1:3 “He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that
brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.”
The most Meaningful, Purposeful, Productive, and Fruitful life, one that truly counts and makes a difference, is NEVER over for those who know Jesus!
Yet, in our culture, we collectively perceive aging as “bad.” We see as becoming less useful, able or purposeful. Unfortunately, too many of us have bought into this negative concept of aging. There is a tremendous and sad trend in this country that no matter how good a person’s health or how sharp their mind, Americans tend to quit life when they retire. We must live with the perspective that our best years are never in the past. . . Matthew 11:28-30: "Come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light".
When you feel like quitting on life, consider this devotion by Charles Swindoll:
“ Every achievement worth remembering is stained with the blood of
diligence and scarred by the wounds of disappointment. To quit, to
run, to escape, to hide - none of these options solve anything. They
only postpone the acceptance of, and reckoning with, reality.
Churchill put it well, “Wars are not won by evacuations.” . . .Are you giving thought to giving up? Considering the possibility of quitting?. . .
Don’t! . . The only time the Lord ever used the word “easy” was when He referred to a yoke.”
Psalm 1:3 “He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that
brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.”
The most Meaningful, Purposeful, Productive, and Fruitful life, one that truly counts and makes a difference, is NEVER over for those who know Jesus!
In Christ the Lord
of all seasons and the Lord in every season.
Brown
Saturday October 6,
2012
5:30 PM October
Festival with Food, Fellowship, Testimonies and Hymn Sing,
at
Wesley UMC,
1000 Day
Hollow Road, Endicott.
Sunday October 7,
2012
Family Breakfast at
7:00AM
Speaker: Dr. Gary
Smith, Ph D, from Binhamton University
Location:
Union
Center United Methodist Church. 128 Maple Drive Endicott
Annual Praise and Prayer Conference
Friday- Sunday October
12-14,2012
- Opening worship: Friday 7 PM at Union Center United Methodist Church, 128 Maple Drive, Endicott
- Saturday 10 am - 1 PM We will gather in the sanctuary of the Union Center United Methodist Church for a concert of prayer.
- Prayer teams will be available to pray. We will anointing with oil and will pray for emotional, physical, and spiritual healing. We will be praying for deliverance and restoration.
- 6 PM First United Methodist Church, 53 McKinley Ave., Endicott. We will gather for a NEW YORK PIZZA Party
- 6:30 PM praise and worship. There will be time for prayer. There will be anointing with oil. We will be praying for miracles of healing, deliverance, salvation, restoration. We will also be serving Communion at the Altar.
- Sunday, October 14, 2012, Morning worship will be at 9:30 AM at Wesley United Methodist Church, 1000 Day Hollow Road
- 8:30 and 11:00 Worship services will be held at the Union Center United Methodist Church; 9:50 - Sunday School Hour
- 12:30 PM Prayer Banquet with international foods
Leaders for the prayer conference
are:
Kelly Johnson from Memphis, TN,
Andy and Sunita Groth, Rob
Krech, Meredith Watson, and Amanda (all from Washington,
DC).
The leaders and members of the
Binghamton House of prayer will be joining for this conference Event. Laureen
Naik will be leading in worship music. Come expecting a miracle.
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