Happy Monday!

Happy Monday Ladies! I hope that everyone had a blessed Thanksgiving! I know that I did! I got to be with my family and friends over the last 4 days and it was so nice to have a little time off of work. Roy and I were able to go out with a few of our friends to the "Black Friday" shopathon. We are big people watchers so for us it is always entertaining to see others in their shopping mode, searching for that perfect gift with just the perfect price. Roy always uses these events as an opportunity to witness to others and I like to sit back and watch him in action. I can remember the first time that I took an Experiencing God Class, I had not been in relationship with Christ long and I wanted to skip the milk and go right on to the meat and potatoes course if you gals know what I mean. I was looking for God in all the wrong places and just treated Him kind of like a method or system instead of an actual person to be in relationship with. I've learned that we can sit back and watch the Holy Spirit move in others to initiate a relationship or fellowship with others and if we would be patient we just might see God working around us. So, I really enjoyed watching the Holy Spirit reach out to our fellow Wal-Mart shoppers! There were those that were very receptive to Him and there were those that were more interested in towels for $1.33 each. But, I must say Girls....Roy and I had some much needed fellowship with others and most of all with each other. It is always nice when we get out with each other with the kids in good hands and just "be together" working in His service, while that we search for gifts for our munchkins. Anyway...on to our devotion for today!
Read Luke 4:22-30
(Paraphrased)
So they all bore witness to Him and marveled at the gracious words that proceeded out of His mouth. They said, "Is this not Joseph's son?" Jesus said to them,"You will surely say this proverb to Me, Physician heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in your country. Assuredly I say to you that no prophet is welcome in his own country. But I tell you many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up 3 years and 6 months and there was great famine throughout all the land. But, none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath,in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha and none of them was cleansed except for Naaman the Syrian.So, all those in the synagogue, after hearing these things were filled with wrath. They rose up to thrust Him out of the city and and led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built that they might throw Him over a cliff, then passing through the midst of them, He went His way.

Why do people in the religious world make idols, start and celebrities out of Christian singers and speakers?
In what regular situations do you face the adult version of "peer pressure" having to make the choice between being yourself and being what others want you to be?

Girls, girls,girls....how many times I have been so "impressed" by the words of others, not the words themselves so much but the presentation of those words. They all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the words that He had spoken. They weren't listening to Him, they were hearing Him. I know as a mother you Gals know what I am talking about! They were impressed by Christ's delivery, not what He said but how He said it. They missed it! Are we missing it? I think we are sometimes. I think that we miss it in our Sunday School classes, our Wednesday night service and our Sunday morning services. We are so taken aback by the delivery of the message and not the message itself. I am guilty of that. Our Pastor has such a way of delivering the message that we will sometimes get caught up in the eloquence of the way the message is presented. Notice also, how the crowds mood went from intriqued to murderous. Luke described it as "wrath!" When a person can go from admiration to infuriation in a matter of moments then something is missing! We are missing something! This is happening in our churches today. We are just wrapping our arms around a Preacher/Pastor because he delivers the message with such grace and with the performance that intriques our hearts to want what they have and we want to sit on the edge of our pews just waiting for what he will say next.....as Beth Moore has put it...This is the same congregation that will roll out the red carpet and graciously bow at your presence and the same congregation that will roll you back out the door with it! Ladies let not miss the message...forget the way that it is presented, what is written?

Your Sister in Christ,
Shana (PW)