God’s Providence or Food from scavengers?

When I read the story of Elijah getting his food from ravens (1 Kings 17) I wonder if maybe deep inside his soul he was pretty upset with God’s providence. Ravens were declared to be “unclean” because of their scavenging nature. The food they were bringing to Elijah did not necessarily look good or was nicely cut. It was probably in all kind of ugly pieces. Why wouldn’t God send a dove or a quail? This was a trial time for Elijah and he needed to learn how to trust God’s providence. God does not always work according to our blueprints. He had to teach Jonah the lesson of mercy; He led Peter to accept the Gentiles; He confused the disciples by washing their feet…

Are you struggling with doubts? Does it feel like God is no longer interested in your life? Are you looking for a dove when the Lord is sending a raven? I want us to learn some valuable lessons from the story of Elijah. Tomorrow morning, Aug 27, at the Lakeview church we’ll learn that God’s providence reaches to all places, persons, and occurrences.

Not knowing, but trusting.

“…he went out, not knowing where he was going” (Heb. 11:8) It is faith without sight. When we can see, it is not faith, but reasoning. In crossing the Atlantic we observed this very principle of faith. We saw no path upon the sea, nor sign of the shore. And yet day by day we were marking our path upon the chart as exactly as if there had followed us a great chalk line upon the sea. And when we came within twenty miles of land, we knew where we were as exactly as if we had seen it all three thousand miles ahead.

How had we measured and marked our course? Day by day our captain had taken his instruments and, looking up to the sky, had fixed his course by the sun. He was sailing by the heavenly, not the earthly lights.

So faith looks up and sails on, by God’s great Sun, not seeing one shore line or earthly lighthouse or path upon the way. Often its steps seem to lead into utter uncertainty, and even darkness and disaster; but He opens the way, and often makes such midnight hours the very gates of day. Let us go forth this day, not knowing, but trusting.
–Days of Heaven upon Earth

Fun Run

Dear Lakeview Back to Health Fun Run Registrants!!

We’re so excited that you have registered to join us THIS Sunday morning for our Back to Health 5K/1 Mile Family Fun Run! Please plan to arrive between 7:00-7:20am as parking may be up to a 5 minute walk from race start and health expo. We will be meeting on the field on the corner of Macedonia and Forest Hill Road–you won’t be able to miss the big white tent! If you are coming from the west, you can plan to park at the church and from the east at Tapp Middle School (there will be signs).

ALL participants will need to visit the registration table before 7:45am! Some of you have registered online or filled out the registration form and paid which means you will just need to see the registration table that morning to pick up your goodie bag and number. Others have reserved their spot which means you will need to fill out the attached registration form (we will have extra copies at the race) and pay cash or check on race day. Either way–we still have open slots so keep inviting your friends and family. We have decided NOT to charge the extra $5 late fee so even on Sunday the 5K will be $20 and the 1 Mile will be $15–REMEMBER, kids 10 and under are FREE!!

We’re also very excited to offer ALL our race participants to a delicious, nutritious PANCAKE feed directly following the race. Our Pathfinder Club will be accepting donations of $3-$5 for non-racers and it will be worth it. They will be offering lots of fruit choices and pancake topping ideas.

Another large part of this event is our Health Expo. Part of that expo will be blood pressure checks, BMI checks and a diabetes screening all FREE of charge. If you would like to have a diabetes screening, please remember NOT to eat that morning (water is fine) and see the diabetes table at the finish of your race. That will give you an accurate count of your blood sugar levels and show the possible need for further testing.

See our website for more information and feel free to call or e-mail before the race with questions. See you Sunday!!

http://backtohealthrun.wordpress.com

Back to Health Committee
tesorensen@gmail.com
Cell: 770-255-9138

“This is My body…”

^“My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you” Gal 4:19

We are to be like God not just in the resurrection, but even, to the extent possible, in this life. We are becoming like Jesus, who showed us what God is like when living in the flesh. We are not just hoping to be like him in the next life—we are already to be like him in this life.

At the very beginning of His earthly ministry Jesus compared Himself to the Bread of life. The formation of Christ-like character becomes possible only when we receive this Bread in daily reading of His Word, in digesting it through study and meditation  and assimilation of it through our continuing prayers.

When Jesus gathered His friends at the table before the Crucifixion He offered them bread saying: “Take it and eat; this is my body” (Matt. 26:26) Our human nature is marred with sin. We are controlled by selfish desires. Jesus is offering us His nature. This formation of Christ-like living in us is not an instant event. It is not a moment of emotional exultation after the baptism. It is a life-long process of receiving the “body of Christ” which in turn is pushing away our sinful nature.

Day after day we see a gradual change in the way we relate to God and to our neighbors. We become less concerned with our selfish desires and seek to bless others with our service to them. Christ is growing in us and we can not hide this transformation from the people around us. Our marriage is getting stronger, our relationships with our parents become more loving; we learn how to be patient, how to forgive, how to accept those who are different from us.

This Sabbath morning I want to see you at the Lord’s table. Christ is offering you His bread. Please, do not turn away from it.

What to do with sinners?

Only love and unconditional acceptance can unfreeze us, triggering thereby a process of growth and change. In the Gospels we see that Jesus accepted sinners unconditionally. He went into Zacchaeus’ house to eat, asked an immoral woman for water, accepted anointing from a harlot.  No criticisms, no condemnations, no rejections, no expectations, only his love reaching out to them. This is why Zacchaeus, the Sinful Woman, the Samaritan woman and others, all of a sudden, were miraculously transformed. What was best in them came alive!

For the last two Sabbath we talked about the meaning of Christian forgiveness. Tomorrow morning I invite you to join me at the Lakeview church to see the amazing meaning of the words of Jesus from John 6:37 “All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.”

“The church on earth is composed of erring men and women, who need patient, painstaking effort that they may be trained and disciplined to work with acceptance in this life, and in the future life to be crowned with glory and immortality.” – {AA 526.1}