Weekend Review

Pastor John Brown and the Lenhardt Christian Fellowship of Easley, SC offered me a warm welcome on Sunday. Although it was a cold rainy day in SC the spirit of the people was very warm and friendly. The presence of the Lord could be felt by one and all as several responded to the altar invitation in each of the services. I sensed that people were being encouraged and strengthened by the ministering presence of the Holy Spirit. It is wonderful to see God work in the lives of people when they are willing to obey the invitation from God. After service on Sunday night I kept asking myself this question; "Why do we so easily reject the presence of the Spirit when we know that we have needs in our lives?" God is prepared to draw us near to Him yet we allow ourselves to resist the opportunity to receive an impartation of the Spirit in our lives. I will continue to pray that God will help ALL of us open our hearts to the ministry of the Holy Spirit. One of the passages of my devotional reading is found in Psalm 36:7,"How precious is Your lovingkindness; O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings." (NKJV). The second word of the passage is what caught my attention. God's lovingkindness should be precious to us. It is so easy to take for granted the goodness of God and is it possible that we fail to praise and thank God as we should? During yesterday's sermons I was challenged concerning the seriousness of my praise and worship. Several days ago I began sharing my heart about the need to take seriously our worship. Have we forgotten the investment that Christ has made in our lives? As we move toward Easter we need to remember that He actually died for our sins. He willingly gave His life so that I could receive eternal life. Do we still consider the preciousness of the price that Jesus paid for our ransom from the bondage of sin? A line from an old hymn of the church declares, "When I survey the wondrous cross"; how long has it been since you took a moment and reflected on the cross and the price that was paid for your sins? I firmly believe that when we truly consider what He has done for us it will be reflected in several ways. First, it will be reflected in our sincere praise to God. Second, it will be reflected in how we live/conduct ourselves in this world. Third, it will be reflected in our witness to others. Finally, it will be reflected in our desire to be obedient to God and His purpose for our life. Prayer requests: My mother is ill and in the hospital in Alabama and also our grandson, Cade was very sick over the weekend. We are praying for your needs on a daily basis and we believe that God does hear and answer prayers.