Life Signs: Contemporary without Compromise (nov 2009)

Thankfulness

This is Thanksgiving time and it truly is a time to be thankful.

Think about it

What do you have to be thankful?

Five senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste, feel

Praise God in the morning when you wake up (for the bed you slept in).  Did you feel comfortable, warm and cozy?  Now, do you feel hungry?  After doing your morning ritual and get something to eat; say thank you that you can taste the food that either you or someone else prepared.  "Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him (Psalm 34:8)."  Did you see the sunlight outside of your window?  Thank God for that as well.  Can you hear the birds chirping in the trees?  Thank Him that you can hear them!  Well, what about the pumpkin pie that you smell your next-door neighbor cooking?  Even though the pie may not be for you - thank God anyway that (1) you can smell it.  (2) You have a roof over your head, (3) you live here in America and share freedoms that our other brothers and sisters around the world do not have.  "Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever (I Chronicles 16:34)."

 

Intimacy with the Father

When you or I think about intimacy, we are more inclined to think about sex, right?  However, this is not what the subject is.  The intimacy that I am conveying comes from the relationship between you and God.  Now you are probably wondering how someone is supposed to be intimate with God.  It is not as crazy as you might think.  An extremely wise man (my pastor), said that to remember what intimacy stood for is to think about what it sounds like - "into me He sees."

I can only hope and pray that we all know and recognize that God was, and is, and always will be omni-everything in our lives.  God does not want only a portion of your life; He wants all of your and my life.  The Latin word omni stands for 'all.'  He is omnipotent meaning that He is all-powerful.  He is the Almighty and the authority over all.  In addition, God is omnipresent which is He being in all places at all times.  God is omniscient meaning that He is all knowing of all things.  With everything said and done, look at Psalm 139:1-4,

                O LORD, you have searched me
                and you know me.

You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.

You discern my going out and my lying down;
                you are familiar with all my ways.

Before a word is on my tongue
              you know it completely, O LORD.

Well, if God knows all things, is everywhere, and is all-powerful - why then should we want to be intimate with Him?  Even though God is omni-everything, telling Him our deepest thoughts actually means a lot to Him and that simple act can make us feel better.  Peter says in I Peter 5:6-7 to, "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time.  Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you."

Peter had things right.  When we lay all of our burdens down at His feet - that is when God receives them unto Himself, picks us up, and leads us along the way.

                ~Alicia McFarlane

 

Testimonies

Brandy McHone

When I was younger, I lived with my mom and stepfather.  Neither of them went to church, but a neighbor down the road was a Sunday school teacher for my age group so she used to pick me up on Sundays.  At the age of 11, I was baptized.  I thought that was how you got God in your heart.  By the age of 13, we moved to the other side of town and I was no longer attending church and living my life as a sinful teenager.  At 15, I moved in with my dad.  My dad and stepmother went to church, so we would go on Wednesday nights and Sundays but I still did not have God in my heart.  I always believed there was a God but I did not know Him personally.  At 16, I ran away, and lived many years doing drugs, drinking, men, and just the sinful party life.
When I turned 30, drugs had a huge hold on me.  I was falling apart, I did not know where to turn, or what to do.  I had just moved into a new house, and a woman from next door came over one day and introduced herself.  She brought me some banana nut bread and was just as nice as she could be.  She invited me to church, to Myrtle Grove Baptist.  I told her yes, even though I did not really want to go.  Nevertheless, I went that Sunday and I liked it!  Everyone was so nice and I felt like this is where I needed to be.  I went the following Sunday and so on.  I started being more involved and asked the Lord to forgive me and to come into my heart.  This time I held on to Him.
In March 2009, I was re-baptized along with my son, mother and little brother.  I have never been happier and more at peace.  November will be one year that I have been clean.  I know now that God never left me during those years that I felt alone.  He was waiting on me to turn to Him.  My life is not perfect, but this is the only life I want to live...With God in my heart!

Upcoming Events

 

Live Out Loud Concert: November 10th at 6:40 PM.  Olive Baptist Church in Pensacola, FL featuring: Newsong, Bluetree, and Rush of Fools                                                                                                                                  

 

Moms In Touch "Arise!  Cry Out!" prayer event.  November 14, 2009 from 9:00am - 1:00pm.  First Baptist Church, Pensacola: 500 N. Palafox (ROC building)

Arts & Crafts Festival.  November 14, 2009 from 9:00am - 3:oopm.  Pine Forest United Methodist Church 2800 Wilde Lake Blvd Pensacola.

Avalon in Concert.  November 14, 2009 at 7:00pm. Pine Terrace Baptist Church; 6212 Pine Blossom Road; 7:00 pm

Operation Christmas Child.  November 16 - November 23, 2009.  Olive Baptist Church:M-F 10-5; Sat 10-12; Sun 1-5; Mon 10-4

Seven22 Singles' Worship at Marcus Pointe Baptist Church.  Meets every Tuesday night at 7:22 PM in the Celebration Auditorium (Bldg.  A), many singles come together to worship God.  Childcare is provided.

Casting Crowns "Until the Whole World Hears Tour": December 3, 2009 at 7:00 PM.  Mobile Civic Center featuring: Casting Crowns and Matt Redman Group.  Orders must be purchased through Mail Order, at the Mobile Civic Center Box Office, or by calling (251) 208-7906.  For more information go to: www.PremierProductions.com

Broadcast Mobile Worship Event 2009: December 31, 2009.  Saenger Theatre Mobile, Alabama featuring '33Miles,' Jonny Diaz Close, Stuart Hall, Stephanie Smith, Real Encounters, Acrobat, Brent Longenecker, BMX Flat Lander, Scott Ditchfield