Saturday, June 20, 2009

Miracle in the making

Today’s Reading: Acts 3:2 (NIV)

2 Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts.

Good morning!

Yesterday was a miracle in the making. It all started when my computer crashed at work. What a misfortune to have happen so early on a beautiful summer Friday. I was told it would take the better part of the day to rebuild the hard drive. I knew exactly where I wanted to be and I only hesitated about three seconds before I requested and received permission to take a day of vacation!

I ran to my car and set out toward Cape Girardeau, where my cousin David is a patient in the hospital. I had received the wonderful news that he was finally awake after eight long days of waiting. He was talking, laughing and recognizing family and friends. This is a miracle in the making! I couldn’t wait to see him again! I called my niece, made lunch plans, and had several nice telephone visits with my mother, sister and aunt on the way to the hospital. Nothing intrigues me more than the miracles of technology. We may live miles apart, and yet, I can reach members of my family just by pressing the speed dial on my cell phone or sending a quick text message. This is truly an amazing gift!

David was wide awaking and smiling when I arrived. His team of neurologists, surgeons and medical staff are working around the clock to help him recover from what seems to be a mystery illness. He was exhausted from the many questions and medical tests. I’m sure he needed a nap. I stayed for just a short time, knowing David was tired. We talked, he smiled – I could see signs of life again. He seemed a bit confused about the day and time, but I knew he was not at all confused about the healing power of Christ over his life. As I prepared to leave, I leaned over to whisper a Scripture verse in David’s ear. He reached for my face, cupping my chin in his bandaged hand. The smile that came across his face and the tears in his eyes was all I needed to see to know that he knew that I knew from whence his healing had come. In that brief moment, I spoke God’s Word and David spoke it back. His wife noticed our quiet exchange, came over to the bed and said, “What are you two whispering about?” David looked at her, smiled and said, “It’s a secret!” It was as if I were standing at the entrance to the Beautiful Gate, watching an amazing transformation happen right in front of my eyes.

I was praying and singing on the drive home, when I noticed a white Jeep Cherokee leave the roadway about 1/8th of a mile in front of me. I only had time for a breath prayer, and I watched in awe as I saw the power of prayer at work when the Holy Spirit came and grabbed that automobile, pulling it back onto the roadway. Had there not been divine intervention, I am convinced this car would have flipped and ended up on the other side of the highway.

How many miracles did you witness yesterday? Can you name them? Every day, miracles occur all around us; simple gifts that we brush aside as trivial, because we are far too busy to notice. The man crippled from birth sat at the Beautiful Gate every day, just waiting and hoping for his miracle. We never know when the miracles will come and yet, he waited for it. Could this be the day you will receive your miracle in the making? Open your eyes and look around. God is trying to speak to you. Will you see His face at the Beautiful Gate?

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

Faith UMC - St. Charles, MO

www.songofdeborah.com

___________________________

© Copyright 2009, Deb Spaulding

All rights reserved

Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles.

Friday, June 19, 2009

Three in the afternoon

Today’s Reading: Acts 3:1 (NIV)

1 One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer – at three in the afternoon.

Good morning!

Mid afternoon is not the easiest time of my day. By three in the afternoon, I’m usually experiencing a blood sugar low. Sometimes, after sitting at my desk for hours on end, I begin to feel really sleepy. This is usually the time of day I will get up and move around, find a healthy snack to munch on, and do some filing. I generally don’t fall asleep when I’m standing up and often, I just need to stand up to keep from falling asleep! Are there certain times of the day that are harder for you to stay fully focused and awake?

It is ironic that God tends to whisper into my heart when it is not personally convenient. He likes to wake me up around 4am each morning. I hear Him speaking in the stillness of the night, and often, I get up to listen and write whenever He calls my name. His perfect timing over my life may not always seem perfect to me. Yet, I choose to honor and worship Him whenever He calls my name. Can you hear the Lord calling your name right now?

Devout Jews observe three times of prayer each day, at 9am, 3pm and at sunset. Often, they will stop whatever they are doing and find a place to pray, and, if possible, they will return to their sanctuaries to do so. Do you pray to the Lord regularly at certain times each day? Have you felt drawn to prayer in moments of extreme fatigue? What is God trying to teach us about our relationship with Him? Are you willing to serve and wait on the Lord even if He is not penciled in on your calendar?

For me, faith in Christ is not some spiritual mantra to be pulled off the dusty shelf and used in moments of deep trouble or despair. Jesus is not someone I can suddenly summon when I have an urgent need. Relationships are born in the most inconvenient of times. Real love requires a daily commitment. His love is readily accessible at all hours of the day or night. And if I truly love Jesus, then I will be ready to listen and respond to Him no matter where I am or what I am doing. It is not just a simple sign of respect or some moral obligation; Serving Christ is not about perpetuating a habit or a some time honored tradition handed through the generations. Drawing near to the Father in prayer through Christ is a holy privilege, totally undeserved yet freely given to all who believe. When Jesus whispers your name at 3pm, will you hear His voice? Will you recognize God’s living breath filling your lungs with brand new life every time you inhale?

It is no coincidence that Luke, the writer of Acts, includes the specific time of day in his recording of the disciples’ prayer. Every day is a precious gift from God. Every hour, each moment can be a God moment that He can and will use to reveal His plan and purpose for your life. Are you willing to listen and obey? When you start to feel that sugar low kicking in this afternoon, let it become an internal reminder to pray. Be prepared to hear and receive what the Lord would say to you today at three in the afternoon.

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

Faith UMC - St. Charles, MO

www.songofdeborah.com

___________________________

© Copyright 2009, Deb Spaulding

All rights reserved

Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

The virtual power of prayer

Today’s Reading: Acts 2:46-47 (NIV)

46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Good morning!

I’ve been rereading portions of Billy Graham’s autobiography, “Just as I Am.” It impresses me to know that Graham knew there was nothing he could achieve apart from the presence and power of the Holy Spirit through daily prayer. While many hold him in great esteem as one of the finest preachers of our day, I personally believe Billy Graham is one of the greatest prayer warriors of the 20th century. He takes praying without ceasing to a level that we have a hard time wrapping our minds around. Graham prayed without ceasing in all things, and it is interwoven throughout his life’s story.

I wonder what would happen to our churches if we became wholly devoted to daily prayer like the early church did, every day, when they met at the temple courts. New Christians came together to share the bread and wine, eating and enjoying each other’s company in the presence of Christ every day. Their hearts were genuinely glad and sincere. There was no animosity between them, only His joy, which made their joy complete. Praying was not just something you did just before a meal; it is the virtual life breath of every believer. You can’t help but feel the power of the Holy Spirit moving in and through every conversation, each thought and word focused completely upon the Lord, while looking for His imminent return. Wouldn’t it be awesome if every time we gathered in our churches that we might feel and know the same holy fire that the early church experienced? The excitement and enthusiasm would be so great that we would not be able to hold all that joy inside our walls. There would be such an outpouring of Christ’s joy that folks would be standing in the streets, feeling the outpouring of His love, from the inside out.

There is great joy kneeling before the presence of Almighty God in prayer. This is His gift of holy communication given and taught to us by Jesus himself. Through His blood covering, we can come before the Lord, moving past the bonds of sin and breaking free into His perfect and holy presence; where we see His face and hear Him breathing His breath into our hearts. This is the place where God plants in us His hope for the people of the world, it is a joy indescribable, and gives us our heart’s desire to serve and love Him forever. Power to move comes in His holy presence. His strength helps us see what seems impossible in the human realm. When Billy and Ruth Graham prayed together before a meeting, they would envision the whole world praying for people to be saved. This helped them tremendously as they stepped into the tent meeting where God would have him speak. It is no wonder that new Christians were being added to the flock every day. Just like the early church did so long ago. It can happen again, right now.

Are you ready to see Christ lifted up in your community? Do you long for the breath of His Holy Spirit lighting a fire in your local church, with your friends at school, and with your coworkers? Is it possible to know the joy of your salvation? Yes, He makes it all possible, and it begins with a simple prayer offered up in faith.

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

Faith UMC - St. Charles, MO

www.songofdeborah.com

___________________________

© Copyright 2009, Deb Spaulding

All rights reserved

Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

David's gift

Today’s Reading: Acts 2:45 (NIV)

45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.

Good morning!

My cousin David reminds me of my dad. They shared many of the same physical attributes. He was my uncle’s oldest son and the spitting image of my father. It was as if God had taken a mold and fashioned a mini-me from the clay dirt. Every summer, David would come to visit my parents in the city. He loved to fish and hunt almost as much as my father did, so he couldn’t wait for the weekends. David knew the fishing pond where Uncle Ben planned to take him outside to play. He watched the master craftsman intently, and learned how to use his own prized pocket knife to create beautiful works of art. My father had a thing about never throwing anything away. No matter what it was, everything has some significant worth and could be used to help someone else. David picked up that holy torch, and, to this day, never ever throws anything away that might be reused by another. While some may view this behavior as somewhat strange, I believe recycling is a holy and high calling.

David can’t stand to see good wood go to waste. At the lumber yard in town, he pulls his pickup truck around back where the defective pieces of wood are stacked for dumping. With the owner’s permission, he takes the defective wood slats back home, where he fashions handmade bird houses and gives them away to neighbors and friends. Because of David’s caring heart, the birds find a place of refuge from the heat of the day.

Sharing our resources should be simple; yet, we take so very much for granted. What things do you have in your home stashed in boxes in the basement that someone else could use? An extra pair of shoes, a suit that no longer fits, or an unused set of bed sheets sitting on the linen shelf could be just the thing your neighbor needs. Has God given you a special gift? Can you cook, sew, or make things with your hands? Do you have my cousin’s uncanny ability to make something out of absolutely nothing and give it away, even for a tiny feathered friend?

David never hesitates to offer Christ while lending a helping hand. He shares his faith in the simple things he says and does. It really doesn’t matter whether he knows the family or not. My cousin finds a way to share whatever he has with others. You can see his caring heart etched in the rejected, defective pieces of wood.

The new body of believers found great joy in sharing everything they had with each other. They found that together, they had the provisions and abilities to reach out and meet the needs of the people in their community. Today, we have the ability to do the exact same thing, and God calls us to engage in a helping ministries for the poor and suffering. It is a high privilege to offer Christ as we reach out in love to our neighbors. This is a simple matter of offering our prayers, presence gifts, service and living witness with each other.

This morning, my cousin David is critically ill and in the hospital, suffering from a mystery illness that is sucking the life right out of him. Won’t you take a moment and offer up a prayer of healing for David? Christ’s gift of intercessory prayer is something all of us can share with each other, every day. It is the one gift we can give that makes an eternal impact in the lives of those around us. A simple prayer prayed in faith through Christ, can move life’s biggest mountains aside. I’ve seen it happen time and again. And my David desperately needs to have this mountain moved.

We are better together in Christ Jesus, our Lord. May we willingly open our hearts and hands as we meet each other’s needs, sharing our possessions and goods with the people God calls us daily to serve.

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

Faith UMC - St. Charles, MO

www.songofdeborah.com

___________________________

© Copyright 2009, Deb Spaulding

All rights reserved

Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles.