This Week’s Reading
Acts 12:25 – 13:52
“They were thrilled and . . .. and all who were chosen for life in the world to come became believers” Acts 13:47-49
Make the decision to be Absolutely Thrilled with Your Salvation
NOTE: I invite each of you to consider fasting in some way between Jan. 9 and Jan. 30.
Fasting is giving up some food for some period of time for the purpose of directing your hunger toward God and to experience God’s “satisfying” you in new ways.
As a church our prayer will be “God give us a hunger for the salvation of others”. Your personal prayer requests will vary based on your circumstances.
Below is a website with lots of information on fasting that will help you know how to proceed (you don’t have buy any of their stuff!!).
I do expect that many of you will experience significant spiritual breakthroughs.
http://www.jentezenfranklin.org/fasting
Pastor’s Reflections
This is a fascinating verse. The words “thrilled” and “all who were chosen” stand out to me.
My thought for myself is that I am not a very outwardly thrilling or visibly thrilled person. But inwardly I am. I am among the .00000000000000000001 % of all people who ever lived who was present at the “immaculate reception”. For those of you who have no life, that was when Terry Bradshaw of the Steelers (a football team) threw a last second pass to Frenchy Fuqua and it bounced into the hands of Franco Harris and he ran for a touchdown, marking the turning point of the Steelers fanchise.
I was there! But I did not stand up. I did not cheer. I just sat there. BUT I was cheering on the inside!
I think I need to “cheer” more about God on the outside this year.
The “all who were chosen” is great because it reminds me one more time, that my salvation comes from God wholly and fully. Even my choice to follow Christ wasn’t my choice. Why God would choose me is beyond logic. But he did and that’s a very happy thing. I see 2011 being a very happy year for me, one that others can see.
I too cheer too much on the inside - especially about God. He does such wonderful things and has never given up on me - that deserves a big HOO RAAH! I have said that God is up there right now during this struggle in my life, just sprinkling angels around me, and if I miss them the first time, he sends the angels back again. He never quits or gives up on me, and for that alone, I should be cheering. 2010 was an incredibly hard year for me, but already, through God's grace, he is working through me to make 2011 a much more joyous year! Thank you God!
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