Chilkootpass is a blog about my faith journey with a bit of conservatism thrown in. I’ll write more as the days progress, but I wanted to get this out:
I find it amazing that today’s Verse of the Day, Thursday, September 3, 2015 at Bible Gateway comes from Isaiah 48:17 which reads: Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go” so perfectly captures what I want to write about today.
I share with you an email that a wrote to a friend last Sunday. To me, it is so very poignant: Take a minute to watch the video to which I refer. I think I have seen it at least ten times since last Sunday. Forthwith my email:
Dear true friend,
I awoke this morning to find this video in FB, first post I explored. I share it with you in the hope that you might be inspired to think a tad more positively about our future. (Imagine that, me encouraging someone else to think more positively about the current political situation.) This is the story of one man’s journey: struggle, redemption and deliverance: dying man finds miracle Look at the odds that this man has overcome.
I take it as a metaphor for my life now and the time in which we live, and I intend write about it in my next prayer call. Just struck me that his church looks an awful lot like Larison’s Corner Church, my home church: Thankfully, the old, diseased blue spruces have been removed: Larison’s Corner Church
God’s spirit is alive in that church—felt it from the moment I walked in—and that is why I continue to attend whenever I go north. Mention church and in my mind’s eye, I always see a white, wooden-framed church like the one Greg Thomas is saving, very 18th century. The question I pose myself is this: ‘Am I looking at my recent past with what I see, or am I looking at something I saw in the 18th century?’ A normal day pondering the imponderables….
Thanks for coming by today to chat on the porch. Always good to see you! We must never lose faith! Those who do are dead already. A deep, abiding faith in God will restore this country. We must all do what we can to spread the Word in our every act and deed.
God bless you,
Sandy
I love the idea Greg Thomas’ pew is a set of concrete steps. You cannot get any more authentic than concrete, unless it’s plain old dirt. With all of the space in the pews of the church, this humble man choose the steps as his altar, the outdoors as his congregation. Look what God has done through him! To me, I find his choice fascinating—a man after my own heart. Give me a road to walk, some corn fields and open sky for inspiration!
For a moment, reverse his role, think of the steps as his altar, his lectern, with the unpretentious little church in the background, orphaned waif, now refreshed and reinvigorated by the fruits of his labors. From those steps Greg Thomas, an unpretentious self-effacing man, words and deeds spread potentially to touch the whole world. He sits on God’s porch, as it were, any given day—unburdening his heart, baring his soul, asking for healing. Trusting his Lord. The Lord has granted his prayers. What a beautiful metaphor! Don’t you just want to meet him?
At Sharon this past Sunday, these words revealed themselves from our Second Scripture Lesson: Kings James Version, James 1:25: But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
I don’t know about you, but the Lord calls me repeatedly until I hear His voice and heed his call.
Finally, this just came to my attention, bear with me:
With all of the murders of police officers during these past few weeks, we know how desperately needed God’s word is in our land. The lecherous hand of evil is spreading throughout America like never before.
David Barton and Glenn Beck have called for a special prayer tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. central, 12 p.m. Eastern, the time of officer Darren Goforth’s funeral. Here is the prayer they suggest, but please adapt it as the Lord indicates:
Prayer for Those Who Protect and Serve
Dear Heavenly Father,
We come before you with humbled hearts. We pray Your protection over all our law enforcement as they faithfully serve our communities. We lift up to You the family of Deputy Darren Goforth and all the families of our first responders and our military who have lost loved ones. Comfort them and provide them with Your peace that surpasses understanding in the midst of unimaginable grief. God, we ask for Your healing over our communities. Let us come together and unite in peace and prayer.
In Your name we pray,
Amen
Wherever you are tomorrow, I hope that you will pray for all who have fallen in the line of duty.
God bless you all,
Sandman
(Photo credit: Sandy Bristol)