| Author | Message | ||
| Colleentinker (Colleentinker) |
Sabra, I'll pray for your mom also. Lydell's right; God is sovereign, and He knows what your mom needs. The thing that puts our Adventist family over the edge is the "prayer in motion", otherwise called sacred dance. They've attended a few Christmas Eve services at which they always have praise singing, a powerfully moving dance to some Christmas-themed song, and a gospel presentation. We leave moved and grateful to God. They leave agitated and silent with set lips and palpable waves of judgment and displeasure emanating from them. Dance, after all, is antithetical to worship... So we all keep praying...I need to go to bed, too! Colleen | ||
| Terryk (Terryk) |
We thanks for the prayers we survived the storm. Lots of people with out electric all around us and tress down and flooding but we are dry and warm. Please pray for the ones ont so blessed who have no electric or have lost their homes and all that was in them. God Bless you all. | ||
| Melissa (Melissa) |
I remember the first time in my southern baptist church a young lady did a ballet dance to a Christian song. The interim music minister had arranged it and loved it, but the rest of us were kindof on pins and needles waiting to see if the older generations fainted or stomped out. My current church has just started a praise dance team and they are very talented ladies, but I know there are still people in the pews who are uncomfortable. I suppose it's not that different from adding the praise band to the service years ago. And one of the ladies I used to sit by in choir got a lot of comments that she 'danced' too much ... she swayed back and forth. It's particularly challenging when your tradition gets confused with what's really Biblical. It just takes a bit of getting used to ... even for someone who is fairly "open" to different forms of praise. I am still learning how to praise God in that way. I have the same challenges with my mother who wants a very traditional, hymn-singing, organ-infused service. Thank God he appreciates praise in all forms as long as it is genuine and from the heart! I need to remember HE is who I am there for. My mentors told a story a few years back that was very eye-opening to me. They had gone to a special church service for some relative. (Some of the details, I didn't retain well). It was a different denomination than many in the family and their services were different. They (my mentors) were all interested to see how other people praise God, while some in the family were obviously opposed to this "wrong" way of worship. (they served communion differently, and he said one aunt wouldn't even take communion because they were doing it wrong.) He said, they left the service feeling renewed by the worship time, and their aunt left angry and had no worship experience at all. I learned a lot from that story. It doesn't help deal with family members, but it helps me remember who I am going to church for ... and I get out of it, even if it's different, what I am willing to put into it for the glory of God... | ||
| Sabra (Sabra) |
True worship has no critics.  Our music director says when someone says they didn't like a song just tell 'em, "it wasn't for you anyways." | ||
| Doc (Doc) |
Interesting experience Melissa. I think that because our relationship with God is based on faith, then what we get out of a service depends on what we expect too. If someone goes to a meeting expecting God to speak, then he does. If they go along looking for something to criticise, then they will find it (there will always be something that is not perfect), but they will not get anything from God. They go home unfed and unblessed. Very sad really. I think it is that security thing again, that I mentioned before. If someone finds more security in the pattern of service used by their particular tradition than they do in Jesus,then someone else's tradition is not just different (which is OK, because I believe God is happy with variety - just look at Creation), it is wrong. God bless, Adrian | ||
| Leigh (Leigh) |
Thanks for the prayers for the hurricane. We live very close to the cheasapeake bay, but on high ground. We didn't have power for 36 hours, but that was the only problem we had. Communities all around us had significant flooding and so many people are still without power and it may be days before they have it. I was so thankful to wake up to power this morning. | ||
| Madelia (Madelia) |
Please pray for a woman named Marguerite. She and her husband have been coming to my husband's "Bible Prophecy" seminar almost every evening. I have seen them attending the SDA Church for almost 2 years now. I had just assumed that they were in agreement about attending church and the seminar. But last night I learned differently. The topic last night was baptism. And of course my husband went on and on about how immersion is the only way to be baptized and the SDA having the truth other churches don't have etc. As you formers well know, there is always a question at the end. This one asked if "you are ready to be baptized". There were only 8 at the seminar last night, 4 of which were our family, another SDA and her daughter, and this couple. Sam went around the room asking if who had been baptized. When he got to this couple, he asked the husband first. As I recall, the husband hesitated and Sam repeated the question. The husband answered yes. Then he asked the wife "have you been baptized?" She answered yes. Sam then asked "baptized by immersion?" And she answered very heatedly "NO, and I don't intend to be". She then excused herself and started to leave the room. I managed to talk to her for a minute and told her I didn't believe everything being taught in the seminar and that Sam and I have had some pretty heated arguments about the SDA "truths". She said they had also. I learned later that the couple had been Lutheran but apparently the husband is the leader in getting them involved in the SDA church. He has gone through the lesson studies before. I can feel so much for this woman. I"d like to talk with her in private sometime, but not sure if it's the right thing to do. I appreciate your prayers for this situation. | ||
| Another_Carol (Another_Carol) |
Madelia, Consider yourself on my top prayer list as this is the kind of thing I believe I have been called to pray for since it is so closely related to my daughter and son-in-law's situation. Love and Prayers, Another Carol | ||
| Melissa (Melissa) |
She stands before God alone accountable for the things she has done alone...regardless of her husband. Iíd talk to her. I sure wouldnít let her think my presence meant acceptance of what is being taught. How many people are swayed into doing something because of how many others they see doing it? These arenít insignificant things. My opinion, and my prayers. | ||
| Colleentinker (Colleentinker) |
Madelia, I'll pray about this, too. Pray that God will provide you an opportunity to speak to her if it is his will, and that he will help you to know what to say. I have been praying re: this seminar and for God's protection of people who come. By all means, continue to pray for this woman and for her husband. I continue to pray for you and your husband as well. Colleen | ||
| Madelia (Madelia) |
Thanks so much all of you for your prayers. You are all such a source of support for me! Marguerite has been weighing heavily on my heart and mind since Saturday night I overheard my husband talking on the phone to one of the SDA women who has been a strong supporter of the seminar. Sounds like he's going to wrap it up this next weekend. Thank goodness! As I mentioned in another thread today, my 8 year old daughter is now talking about wanting to become baptized. She has seen 3 of her friends and schoolmates become baptized this summer. I am not ready for that!! | ||
| Colleentinker (Colleentinker) |
Madelia, can you talk to her about baptism in terms of accepting Jesus but not being a biblical symbol of joining a church? Does she know Jesus? I'll continue to pray for your children. Colleen | ||
| Sabra (Sabra) |
Madelia, I feel like God has put you in that woman's path for a reason. I will pray for you to know what to do and say and for God to express truth to them. Let her know, if you can, that baptism has nothing to do with salvation and you may want to talk to your daughter about the same thing. I can't imagine being in your shoes. God Bless. | ||
| Madelia (Madelia) |
Thanks everyone for your support and prayers! | ||
| Colleentinker (Colleentinker) |
I'd like to ask all of you to pray for an end to the fires in So. California. A couple of them are raging out-of-control but not threatening neighborhoods, but two are out-of-control near heavily populated areas. One is near Rancho Cucamonga, and it's been burning for 3 or 4 days and has taken out 16 houses. The other is in San Bernardino. It started this morning, and it's already burned over 50 houses, and thousands of people are being evacuated from their homes. Because of the Rancho Cucamonga fire, there are hardly any resources left to fight the San Bernardino fire, and it's spreading rapidly both east and west. We are having Santa Ana conditions right now--hot (over 100 degrees in the valleys during the day) with dry winds from the east and northeast. Santa Ana winds transform fires into infernos, and the flames leap across roads, heat intensifies, and the fire itself creates winds even greater than the Santa Anas and spread the flames in all directions. We just drove down the road in front of our house and could see the flames in the foothills above San Bernardino. We would appreciate your prayers for God's protection of the thousands of people who live in this valley, for His power and intervention in this crisis, and for His will to be done in all of this. Thank you! Colleen | ||
| Chris (Chris) |
My sister, Cherry, lives on San Bernadino mountain about 2000' lower than Big Bear. I'm a little worried about her. I am praying. Chris | ||
| Sabra (Sabra) |
Yes, Colleen will agree with you in prayer for the fires to stop and people to be safe and homes spared. I have a request: My daughter Kayla has a strange, severe rash on her face and neck that has caused her eye to swell shut and the other one close to shut. It stings and the Dr.'s don't know what it is other than an allergic reaction to something. She is on several medications and it got really worse last night so we took her back to the ER this am. Our pastor laid hands on her and prayed for her today and it seems to be a little better this evening. It is really scary, she looks so disfigured, please pray that it is healed. I take her to a pediatrician tomorrow in the morning. Thank you, Sabra | ||
| Colleentinker (Colleentinker) |
Sabra, I will pray for your daughter. The fires are still burning, but they're moving out of San Bernardino and higher into the mountain communities. How is your sister, Chris? Have you heard from her? One of my colleagues' house has been damaged, and some others have been evacuated. I haven't heard yet how they all have fared. The fire near Rancho Cucamonga and the San Bernardino fire have joined, and together they have burned over 400 houses. The Rancho Cucamonga fire shows signs of beginning to be contained this evening, however. Praise God that he is sovereign, even over rashes and fires. Colleen | ||
| Melissa (Melissa) |
Isn't God something...I happened to be watching Good Morning America's news this morning and when I saw the fires, was prompted to pray for Colleen. I love it when he works so visibly! | ||
| Colleentinker (Colleentinker) |
Thank you, Melissa. Those fires are so close to us right now; in fact, Richard just drove home because we've heard reports that there's a new one just over the hill from us, and we can't get confirmation on the news yet. At least six of our students' families at our school have lost their houses. The smoke is thick, and we're keeping all the kids in for lunch. MANY of our staff, faculty, and students have had to evacuate; some are still out of their houses, uncertain whether or not they'll have one to which to return. Our school board/administration worked with the Red Cross and opened our school over the weekend and during after school hours this week as needed as a support/waiting center. Many people and their pets came over the weekend. The principal said he walked into the library at one point during the evening and heard birds in cages and was met by a rotweiler at the door. Many kids are highly strung today, not certain whether or not their houses are still standing. We really do need prayer! Colleen |
