This week's February 23, 2010 devotional thoughts...."Igniting Intimacy"

MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR OUR NEXT BIG EVENT: SATURDAY MARCH 20 10:00AM - NOON (WALK OF THE CROSS)

1:00PM - 3:00PM(LUNCH AT SAKE BLUE)

YOU'LL REALLY ENJOY THIS MARCH ACTIVITY.

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Seeing Him at Sinai....Igniting Intimacy

read pages 81-84 One in a Million Priscilla Shirer

read Ex. 34:14

Whether we are in the middle of a desert experience or enjoying the pleasures of plenty, God's purpose is to develop passionate hearts in us. When you get home after being away for awhile, do you want your loved one to look forward to being with you more than receiving the gifts you bring home? Of course you want their passion to be towards the giver of the gift and not the gift. Ask yourself: What is the heat level of your passion for God right now? Would those who know you best agree with your answer?

Read Ex. 19....the story of Sinai.

Ex. 3:1 and 24:13 What holy name was given to this site?

Parallel this high point of the exodus of the ancient Hebrews to the high point in our lives....your own mountain of God.

This is where the children of Israel would:

hear His voice; see an outward manifestation of His glory; be called into full commitment to Him; be established as His chosen people; be invited into covenant relationship.

Why is Ex. 19:4-6 often described as the heart of the Old Testament?

*****God's entire relationship with Israel can be summed up in three distinct proclamations from this verse:

1. a delivering from

2. a lifting up

3. a bringing unto

Deut. 32:9-11...consider the term "on eagles' wings".

How does our relationship with God compare with the eagle and her young?...needy and dependent eaglets, eagle stirring the nest, eagle protecting her young while they learn to fly.....

If God desires true intimacy with us, how have we given other things precedence over this desire?

The Lord wants to bring you to a Sinai so your encounter with Him will forever mark and radically change you. He wants your wilderness experience to bring you to remember what Christ did for you, acknowledge what He currently is doing , and recommit to personal intimacy with Him.

Shirer quotes Sam Pascoe:

"Christianity began in Palestine as a fellowship (a relationship) then moved to Greece and became a philosophy (way to think). Afterward, it moved onto Rome and became an institution (a place you go) and then to Europe where it became a culture (a way of life). Finally it settled in America where it has become an enterprise (a business)."

How do you see the truth of this statement reflected in modern American Christianity? In your own life?

Do you desire a fresh passion for God? Tell Him. Ask Him to draw you to a mountain of God moment. He will stir our hearts to desire Him above His gifts and to seek His friendship over His blessings.

Seeking Him,

Becky

March event....and Devotion for Feb. 11 and Feb. 18

What a great time we had Friday night at our home! Over 20 of you disregarded the weather forecast and came on out for lots of laughs, great food, and rich time of testimony and exhortation. WE will have Tom update you with some pictures (some of you really came out of your shells with your 70's song performances!!!!!:)

Pastor Bob feels a real burden to "Carry the Cross" around our city. We, as a singles team, want to share in making this happen. This walk begins today and will continue each Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 10:00am- noon until Easter. I have chosen Saturday March 20 (10:00am - noon) for us to walk as a group to support this effort. We will pray and sing as we walk around our city that day. Please mark your calendars to join us. Let's take a stand and let our city know we are committed to intercede for a real spiritual awakening here! I will check with the Japanese Restaurant near Bardstown road to see if we can make reservations to eat there as a large group following our prayer walk around 1:00pm......details and confirmation of plans to follow.

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Feb. 11 devotional: The In-Between Times

read Page 69 - 73 One in a Million by Priscilla Shirer

We must prepare ourselves for the times between visible miracles in our lives. We do not want to become idle between one spiritual high point and the next. If we are not careful we will allow the enemy to cloud our memories of God's provision and even convince us that God has forgotten about us in these times. We should not despise these in between times because they are necessary connections between one event and the next.

Read Ex. 16:1,,,15:27...19:18

How should a believer respond to God when he/she feels they are experiencing a spiritual lull? Ex. 16:2 Psl 106:7,13,25

Do you recognize the spirit of complaint in your life: Frustration becomes raging disgust, whining and longing for something other than what God provides? Be honest with yourself and with God. read Romans 1:21 Phil 2:14 Phil 4:4,6,8.

I Cor. 10:9-10...grumbling against the Lord's plan for our lives is a serious offense.

Let's trust God for the in-between times. He always proves faithful.

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Feb. 18 A Blessing, Not a Barrier

read pages 74-77 One in a Million by Priscilla Shirer

read Ex. 13:18, 14:4

God desired not to get the Hebrews in close proximity to Canaan as much as bringing them to close proximity to Himself. He purposefully "led the people around by the way of the wilderness to the Red Sea". What could be God's purpose for this? The word "Glory" is "Kabed"....meaning...to be heavy, weighty, or burdensome. God's integrity should be given immense weight and credibility and be frully trusted. The Lord gave the Israelites a tremendous visual at the Red Sea that helped raise their understanding of just how much honor He is due. Pharoah's Army got a visual too!!!!

****How might a more weighty view of God's ability alter your relationship with Him?*****

Think about a time when your appreciation of God's ability deepened. How did it impact your pursuit of the Lord?

Key: Salvation delivers you out of Egypt, but the wilderness is designed to work Egypt out of you. God wants to have an increasing amount of weight in our decision-making and lifestyle choices.

****How has God used the wilderness to work Egypt out of You?****

Shirer encourages us to....take a moment to release control over your difficulties to the Lord, choosing to believe in His overwhelming love for you. Trust Him to decide what is best for you. We've got to know that sickness, financial debacles, marital disasters, heartbreaks, and the greatest needs of our lives don't have to derail our relationship with God. In the midst of our pain, God makes a way for us to see and experience His greatness. AMEN

Hope to see you this Thursday at 7:30,

Becky

This Thursday...Feb. 4 and This Friday Feb. 5....you are invited!

This thursday, we are so honored to have as our guest at EWPC, the pastor of the largest full gospel church in Haiti. He will share in the Thursday evening service from 6:30- 8:30 pm at Minor Lane. Our Singles Source group unanimously voted to come together to hear this man's amazing first hand account of the devastation and need in his country after the recent earthquake. Roger is taking a group there on Feb. 20th to help with relief efforts. Please don't miss this opportunity THIS THURSDAY NIGHT !

This Friday night....8:00-11:00pm at 10225 Bardstown Bluff Road...come to our home for fun, food and fellowship. When you come to the door, you will pick a color of the superbowl team you want to represent for the evening. That will be your team for the night! Colts: blue ....Saints: gold. You may wear that color shirt or you will be given a blue or gold wrist band to wear for the evening. WE will have trivia, door prizes, competitive games...etc.....tons of fun. dont miss out! Park across from the house. Easy access in and out. RSVP or questions, call 904-955-5122. WE will all chip in for pizza and salad.

Looking forward to seeing each of you soon,

Becky

"This is only a test'...devotion for week of Jan. 25...see you Thurs. at minor Lane foyer 7:30 Source for Singles

"This is Only A Test"

read pages 65-69 "One in a Million" by Priscilla Shirer

We have tests in school to see how well we are learning the material....and we have tests in our spiritual lives.

Read:

I Peter 1:6-7

Ex. 15:25; 16:4; Deut 8:2

1st test: Red Sea uncrossable....God parted it.

2nd test: Bitter water at Marah...God made it sweet.

3rd test: no food between Elim and Sinai....what did God do? Ex. 16:12

We need to learn that we cannot have the benefits and blessings of Canaan without first learning how to walk through the wilderness in dependence and faithfulness. read Psl. 66:10 "For You have tried us, O God; You have refined us as silver is refined."

Read Ex. 16:1-7.....How did the people initially respond to their hunger? Think about this: When the Lord allowed His children to run out of their own supply of food, test time arrived. We look back on their situation and think: "Didn't they know that God's intention toward them was good?", but they panicked. But before we stand in judgement, let's ask how are we doing on passing our own similar tests? Don't we continually forget God's past expressions of love and continue to go on questioning His character?!

List some lessons God has taught you. Assign yourself a grade to signify how well you think you did on the test.

Psl. 26:2 "Examine me, O Lord, and try me; Test my mind and my heart."

How might the Israelites have responded had they recognized their hunger as a spiritual test? How might knowing that the Lord tests us alter your response to the next challenge life presents?

Know this to be true: A SEASON OF EMPTINESS WILL ACCOMPANY YOUR JOURNEY TO THE PROMISED LAND! We recognize our stomach's need for food, but do we recognize that a spiritual dryness or hunger can only be satisfied by true spiritual food? God designs and allows spiritual emptiness so that He can be the only One who can satisfy it!

How do you know when an inner hunger is meant for only God, not someone/something else in your life, to fill?

Psl. 107:9 says: that the Lord "satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul He fills with good things." We must search the Word, spend time in prayer, and yield to the Holy Spirit's leading in our lives. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied" Matt. 5:6.

Spend some time considering God's faithfulness in your life. When you find inside yourself a gnawing hunger that you can't fill with any relationship, success, or earthly resources, consider that God is leading you to an opportunity to better know Him as your SUSTAINER. Maybe church-as-usual is becoming less satisfying and your soul hungers for more than a mere conference or message or song, perhaps God is calling you to HIS KITCHEN. That doesn't mean its time to stop going to church or begin a search for a new congregation. It just means that He is calling you to spend more quality time with Him. Recognize hunger as God's gift to draw you closer to Him.

John 6:27 says: "we labor not for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life".

Personal comment: I seem to continually be learning this lesson! Even now, I must remind myself of God's constant provision in my life. When it seems like we are facing situation that might really stump God, we must remember that He looks for situations to create a miracle in our lives so that His manifest presence and power will be seen. We live to glorify God....AMEN!

Seeking God's Best,

Becky

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See you at our home next Friday February 5 from 8:00 - 11:00pm for Fellowship, Fun, and Food. Come prepared to laugh, eat, and meet new friends. Call me for more details: 904-955-5122 or rsvp to this email.

directions; exit Gene Snyder and go south on Bardstown Road about 3 miles. After you pass Glenmary, a Castle-like school on your left, and Bootleg BBQ on your right....look for a lane to turn left onto Bardstown Bluff Road. Pass the white Baptist Church on your left and look for a place to park on the right (across from our driveway on the left). 10225 Bardstown Bluff Road 40291

FEBRUARY 5....FRIDAY.....8:00-11:00pm....HOAGLAND HOME....PRE SUPER BOWL BASH

Mark your calendars....bring a friend...plan for a fun night of games, pizza, fellowship,.......

more details to follow....