God

Don’t Stop Praying!

/ pastorpete51 / 4 Comments 
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 
Luke 18:1 NIV

God knows that some days we feel like giving up on prayer. Maybe we think that there are bigger problems in the world or that God isn’t interested. Yet, instead of just lecturing us, Jesus tells us a story about a widow and a judge. This widow wasn’t politically connected, or rich and she had an someone harassing her. We aren’t told exactly the issue: only that the one person she could turn to for help was a corrupt judge. Yet she didn’t give up, run away, or complain to her neighbors. Instead, every morning she walked down to the judge’s house. I can just picture him looking out his window, as he heard her knock, muttering, “Oh no! Not her again!”

Maybe she was driving him crazy, but all she really wanted was for him to do his job. Finally, the judge threw up his hands, and said something like, “All right! I’ll do it! Just please leave me alone!” Then, Jesus reminds us that God is not even a little bit like that judge. God wants to hear our prayers. God loves us, wants the best for us, and since He is so good, we should never give up. God is listening, and if we keep on praying and believing, we can trust that one day He is sure to answer!

“I have abandoned all particular forms of devotion, all prayer techniques. My only prayer practice is attention. I carry on a habitual, silent, and secret conversation with God that fills me with overwhelming joy.” 
Brother Lawrence

The Beauty of Sunsets

/ pastorpete51 / 2 Comments

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9 ESV

Unless there is an eclipse going on we will never see folks flocking to the shore to snap photos of the sun at noon. That’s because at noon the sun is way too bright for all but the most expensive camera lenses to capture and it’s just so ordinary. But come sunset, especially if there are clouds on the horizon, people wait with anticipation for the first colors of sunset as the sun slowly descends into the sea.

In that same way, the love of God in Christ was far too brilliant for most of His followers to receive while Jesus was healing the sick or calming seas. But at the cross as Jesus suffered and His body was wracked with agonizing pains the beauty of sunset dimmed by clouds began to be seen by unlikely candidates. One thief on a cross next to Jesus repented and received the promise of heaven. A Roman executioner believed and a young disciple was entrusted with the protection and care of Jesus’ own mother. In the sunset of His life on earth Jesus died in my place, paid the full price for our salvation and drew even fearful followers out of hiding to place Him in the tomb. How humble and kind of our Lord that He would allow Himself to die that we could see the beauty of His love in His sunset hours on Calvary!

How Big God is Your God?

/ pastorpete51 / 2 Comments

Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” Mark 9:24

Jesus isn’t sitting on His throne hoping for a nice flowery formal prayer. If you have just a small faith in a big God don’t be afraid to pray. Jesus is waiting at for us at His throne of grace. Our God is big enough to move any mountain with faith smaller than a tiny seed!  KIMG1199