Christian Chat - Worthy Chat Blogs

I was reflecting today on my little brother Keith. We have talked several times about my visits to England. When Lisa and i went on our honeymoon we stayed in a hotel that was not far from Buckingham Palace (walking distance). Supposedly, the hotel was a converted Castle. The location was near everything we wanted to see in London.

After the wedding and the flight from the states we were both exhausted. We had been up for 2 days before the wedding and there is no such animal as real sleep in a plane. We got to the hotel and litrally fell on the bed and slept. So goes our first daytime in London.

We woke up and it was already dark so we decided to talk a walkabout. First, we found food at a nearby restaraunt and got showers etc. Lisa did not know before she woke up I had done some scouting.

We began our walk and ran into a few bobbies (looking for a lost cat). We spoke and moved on and we saw this big church. I had noticed earlier a sign that we walked by and the building was the rectory for Westminster Abbey. Lisa kept asking what the church was. I finally told her it was Westminster Cathedral. She argued saying it could not be. We walked another block closer and this big clock appeared. I kinda chuckled and said i guess thats just another clock.

Lisa still had not figured out what we were looking at. I began to sing an old Roger Miller tune that goes like this: Engaland swings like a pendulum do, Bobbies own bicycles 2×2. Westmenser Abbey, the Tower Big Ben, the rosy red cheeks of the little children.

I wish i had brought the camera because the realization and wonder of what we were seeing finally washed all over Lisa. You could see the joy and thrill literally take her over.

As i thought about this, i began thinking wait have i lost that joy, the thrill of salvation? Do i take the time to let God’s love wash over me anew?
Psalms 51:12 says “Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation; and uphold me with Thy free Spirit.

Let’s tomorrow and everyday make this our prayer!

This evening while we were in Bible Study there was a drama developing in our house. I was busy copying and pasting the study and not really paying attention to my granddaughter (Marie) as i should. I could see her and she was playing so I kept right on going with the study.
With abou 15 minutes left in the process of the study my granddaughter began screaming at the top of her lungs. I did not know what the problem was and tried to comfort her and continue with the study.

She continued screaming so i decided to pick her up and let her watch me finish. What i discovered was a foreign object. Earlier in the evening I had given her an empty can of Pringles to play with. She had stuck her foot in it and her leg had slipped all the way down the can. I couldn’t see it because her dress had it covered up. While this was going on my wife was in the back bedroom offering advice which i could not hear and the house became more of a zoo.
I removed the can and set her down. She raised her hands for her toy and i gave it to her. All this time tho i had continued to copy and paste as i could.

About 5 min later Marie starts screaming again. I begin praying Lord just let me get thru this study but she gets louder. So, I look and there isn’t a cna on her leg so i give in and pick her up. What i missed was her other leg. She had put her other foot in the can all the way up her leg.

After removing the can, it promptly went into the trash never to be used as a toy again. (By the way, Pringles cans in the future will not be used as toys either!)

I was telling this story in chat and someone mentioned that i should post this on the blog but not just for the humor slthough it is funny. There are at least two principles i think can be gained from this story.

The first principle is God knows our every need even when we do not know it ourselves. Romans 8:26 shows how the Spirit intecedes even when we don’t know what we need intercession for.

The Second priniciple I see in this story is not just a need but the promise of God to meet the need. Phillipians 4:19.

My granddaughters need was to have the pringles can removed from her leg. My need was to take care of her and complete the Bible Study. Obviously, without picking her up i would not have known the problem. God knows and meets the need because the Spirit intercedes for us.

This morning we reached a newer threshhold with our grandchild.  For the first time I saw a recognition that she really understood that our directions were not to limit her but to protect her.

It dawned on me once again how God uses His Word and Spirit not to control but to protect us.  Many times we (me) feel the Holy Spirit moving and guiding.  How we respond to that guidance determines whether we have joy and fruit in our lives or feel the hand of a parent (God) convicting us and moving us where He wants us.

Deu 8:5 Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the LORD thy God chasteneth thee.

Just as my granddaughter has learned there are consequences to not listening, she is learning that when she does listen to the warnings there are rewards.  So God deals with us.  The rewards of listening to the Spirit of God,to God’s word and Jesus’s example are very simple we draw closer to God.   

But the joy of following the Spirit of God is expressed in this verse: 

2Co 3:17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

Pray for me as i continue the journey and lead my family toward the Freedom we find in Jesus and the Liberty the Spirit gives us.  Pray for Worthy and all of Worthy ministries.  Lets stive to pray for one another as well.

Many years ago as a Theology student at Howard Payne University something struck me then as it does now.  We would spend endless time as theological students “discussing” or should I say debating doctrine.  Most of the time all parties saying the same thing and yet never agreeing.   Yet the lost were were within a door of the dorm.

We are first obligated to reach the Lost in Worthy as was commanded by our Lord Mathew 28:18-20.  By this same verse we are commanded to teach what Jesus taught.  This is our first obligation in chat.

The issues of doctrine are secondary.  Do not misunderstand my thought.  Scripture teaches that we are to be wary of being swayed by doctrine Ephesians 4:14.  Many come in to do nothing more than confuse and mislead the Saints.  We are obligated to respond II Timothy 4:2-4.  Our discussion of Doctrine should be relegated to Mars Hill.  This is where it has been designated for discussion and debate.

My point is this I appreciate the chitter chatter in the upper.  Like i pointed out earlier in college we missed the lost because the lost were not sought out.  We need to make sure we are following our Lord’s command as it was written first to win, second to teach and when a doctrinal issue or false teaching arises be sensitive to those who come into upper who may not know the Lord.  The arguements (discussions) would lead people away and not to the Lord.

Over the last few weeks i have noticed a trend in chat that seems disturbing. Normally, i would address this elsewhere but it is a thought of mine and maybe one that bears a look at.

The moderators are expected to be cheerful, upbeat, knowledgable and caring. They are all of those things. But Satan works on the moderators in all the same ways he works on everyone else. Whether it is personal loss, pain, illness or whatever the circumstance might be. Like everyone else who comes in we have times of depression, and ups and downs. Satan works the same no matter who it is if they are trying to serve God. The following passage is important not just because it talks about the armor of God but there is an interesting note at the end of the passage. The passage is found in Ephesians 6:10-19. We all know the passage because Paul talks about the armor of God. Vs. 18-19 tho are the key to this post:

“Praying with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, being watchful to the end with all perserverance and supplication for all the saints and for me that utterance may be given to me. that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystety of the gospel for which I am an ambassador in chains: that in it i may speak boldly, as i ought to speak.”

Please pray for the moderators that we may boldly speak the truth in love. Understand they are people too, not just bots!

The lyrics to the song “I, Believe, Help Thou My Unbelief by Bill and Gloria Gaither came to mind last night while searching for another set of lyrics.  I kept running into a brick wall on the other song and this one kept popping up.  I bypassed the lyrics several times because i was determined to get the other one.  I never found the other lyrics.

Let me share the lyrics from the album A Few Good Men.

I believe, help thou my unbelief i take the finite risk of trusting as a child

I believe, help thou my unbelief i walk into the unknown trusting all the while

I long so much to feel the warmth that others seem to know But should i never feel the things i claim Him even so.

I believe, help thou my unbelief I walk into the unknown trusting all the while.

Many times we face a struggle in our walk with God.  Some call it depression, some call it a trial, and some even call it a test.  When we walk into those valleys that seem so low it is important for us to remember Who made the valley and our only responsbility is to be still and recognize Him and know Him in the very small areas that seem so big.  These areas are areas where we show a lack of trust and belief in God.

Psalm 46 addresses this very issue and and ends with:

Be still and know that I am God:  I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. 

The Lord of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.  Selah.

Take time as i did today and read the entire text of Psalm 46 and then remember Who our Refuge really is.

By the way my focus on lyrics should have been on listening to what God was showing me.  The lyrics to the other song are being shipped to me by the man i first heard sing it back in 1971.

God bless you all

Steve

This evening we were in bible study and one of the chatters suggested we have more bible studies. Everyone agreed with the need for more study. Many of the problems that have slowed or even stopped studies in chat have been related to unnecessary chit chat, rabbit chasing, etc.

Here is my suggestion and i would like to hear all the admins about it..especially how to improve it. I would like to do a bible study beginning in Genesis and working thru verse by verse to Revelation.

My idea is to create a private room each time for the study. Initially, a chatter would have to have a password for entry. We would only allow new people to join the study as we moved to a new book. Genesis to Exodus with a new password for each. The idea is not to be exclusionary because the study would be posted as a thread on the boards without the side issues.

This would keep people up to date with where we are and encourage them to join as the study progresses to the next book in the Bible.

I am well aware that this has probably been chewed over before.

The other idea is simply to open the bible study and be polite and firm with keeping on track.

Let me know folks your thoughts on this.