Mama Mia

Romans 12:1 (place your life before God) So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life-your sleeping, eating, going-to-work/school, and walking-around life-and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for Him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit in to it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what He wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. (THE MESSAGE)

Dear Friend:
The song from Mama Mia written by Abba called “TAKE A CHANCE ON ME” is really appropriate words for my message today. Here they are in case you don’t know them.
If you change your mind, I’m the first in line
Honey I’m still free
Take a chance on me
If you need me, let me know, gonna be around
If you’ve got no place to go, if you’re feeling down
If you’re all alone when the pretty birds have flown
Honey I’m still free
Take a chance on me
Gonna do my very best and it ain’t no lie
If you put me to the test, if you let me try
Take a chance on me
(that’s all I ask of you honey)
Take a chance on me

“SERIOUSLY,” the Lord says! The downturn of our economy and the deterioration of family should be enough for us to “TAKE A CHANCE ”on Jesus? Oh Mama Mia, the Lord is crying! This is not a message of FEAR, no this is a message of HOPE. Hope from Jesus! You say what hope? Hopefully God has your attention and He wants you to pray like this.
Heavenly Father you are our hope and salvation. Grant me the power to say NO to ungodliness and Yes to you. Forgive me when I did not stick up for family values and say no. Father bring down the ministering angels to help us break this cycle of fear. I pray that you attack the spirit of fear over all those have the financial ability to make changes for our economy. Father direct the thoughts of those in charge of these decisions and release the wisdom they need to turn this around. In Jesus name. Amen.
No Fear,
Elaine

Seriously

Proverbs 16:20
It pays to take life seriously; things work out when you trust in God.

One of the first duties of a rational being is to inquire seriously why he was created, and what he is to do to answer the purpose of his creation. (American Dictionary Noah Webster 1828)

Dear Friend:

I was picturing myself texting you the word “seriously.” I don’t know if you notice how much our youth say this word today. I can count it when they talk sometimes 5 times or more in a conversation. Consider how much you use this word or much someone else uses the word.

Are you finding out what God has to say and taking it “seriously?” Do you listen to what others are “seriously” asking you to believe? It can be random conversations but we listen and take it “seriously.”

Let’s pray: Father in heaven your word says it pays to take life seriously; help me to trust you. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Seriously,
Elaine

Stress Reliever

The Priestly Blessing –Numbers 6:22-27
22 The LORD said to Moses, 23 "Tell Aaron and his sons, 'This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:
24 " ' "The LORD bless you
and keep you;
25 the LORD make his face shine upon you
and be gracious to you;
26 the LORD turn his face toward you
and give you peace." '
27 "So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them."
Dear Friend:
This Priestly blessing was written right after Moses received the ten commandments. Aaron and Moses were receiving all sorts of instructions regarding the Priestly duties. The Lord instructed them to pray and say to the Israelites this blessing.
I use this blessing in the nursing home all the time. I find it refreshing and reassuring. In these uncertain times it is refreshing to hear from God that he will keep you, be gracious to you and give you peace. A bit of a stress reliever, I would say!
Pray with me: Father in heaven thank you for keeping me , blessing me, being gracious to me and giving me peace. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
Being Blessed,
Elaine

Job Offer

Moses said to the Lord, “O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue. Exodus 4:10

Dear Friend:

Imagine if an owner of the company came to you and proposed a job for you and you responded as above? If the statement above was not bad enough look at the next statement Moses said.
But Moses said, “O Lord, please send someone else to do it.” Exodus 4:13

God knows everything about you and me. Do you not believe that? God says he knows every hair on your head. He knows if we are qualified for a job.

If you are a praying person and waiting on God for answer for things going on in your life. Stop, picturing the way he should answer it and start just responding to what is in front of you. God is lavishing wisdom on you and wants to help. Pray, wait, respond.
It takes courage to do what God is putting in front of you. It also takes courage to continue going when things seem difficult. Here are some quick things I counted up about Moses’s job:
Moses asked Pharoah “to let the people go and worship” 8 times.
God hardened Pharoah’s hearts 18 times
Pharoah asked Moses “to pray to stop the plagues” 6 times.
Pharoah said “he would let the people go” and changed his mind 6 times.
What a hard time Moses had with Pharoah.
God cast a vision starting with Abraham, saying “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Genesis 12:2-3 Did you know from Genesis through Exodus ( that ‘s Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses) he repeats this promise 23 times. Now that is reassurance for life.

Let’s pray: Father in heaven things are hard right now. Thank you for the testimony of our faith fathers. Help me to trust you because you are so trustworthy. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

So got any job offers lately? Things seem difficult and not clear? God will see you through it ALL!

Listening to God,
Elaine