The Carpet Man

Cindy at I Owe it All to Him has invited us to relate times when someone helped us out unexpectedly, and that it was clearly a "God thing". There have been many times that I know an angel has been there to protect and guard me and my family, but I want to share a short little situation that I KNOW God sent someone, in the natural, to help out my husband and I. I'm a BIG believer in prayer for all things, even the small and seemingly "trivial" things in life. I know God wants to help us and looks for ways to bless us, letting us know that He IS there, hearing our prayers and being involved in our everyday lives, even the small things.

My husband and I have been involved in the antiquing business for several years. At one point we were moving into a rather large space at an antique mall and had purchased a carpet remnant to cover the dirty and cracking floors. We had given specific dimensions for the cut and didn't expect any problems with the installation. Just lay it out and be done with it. We had a lot to accomplish that day and it was critical that it be done by the end of the day.

Well, we laid out the carpet and to our dismay it was cockeyed to the point of laughability, except we weren't laughing. It was a nightmare. No matter which way we turned it it was off; off too much to do anything with. We struggled with it for a while and then we realized we needed to pray. We didn't know what to do, but prayed for guidance in getting the job done.

2 Chronicles 16:9 "For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him."

When we finished praying a gentleman and his wife came by the booth and started up a conversation. He said. "Hey, are you having a problem with your carpet, here?"
We looked at him and nodded our heads in unison.
"Well", he said, "I just happen to be a carpet installer and I have my tools out in my truck. Let me see what I can do."

I kid you not, this man was sent by God. Turns out he and his wife were vacationing in nearby Branson and were also singing at a church there with friends. I'm getting goosebumps just re-telling this story. He came back in, wrestled for a while and ended up with a perfectly cut and well fitting carpet. He and God saved the day!! We rewarded him with some appropriate items and we all knew God had blessed us.

I was so thankful that God was ready to help us, He knew our need. The carpet installer was in the right place at the right time, and yahoo, God used another believer to do the job! Being in the right place at the right time...priceless!

I'd also like to take this opportunity to invite you to join me here as I start a Bible Study of the book of Galatians. "A day in the life..."  I'd love to have you.
Please scroll down to the last post for an introduction.

Today, I'm linking with dear Cindy from I Owe it All to Him. Check in sometime this weekend for other's experiences with God's help in human form.

love,

Debra

Which One am I?

I don't know about you, but sometimes I need to hear the Truth. Truth that's not watered down, or made palatable. Some meat of the Word to chew on, and not "baby food" Christian speak. I think a lot of the time we don't want to present God's Word in a way that "offends". Especially to new Christians or unbelievers, so a lot of the time it's a lukewarm Gospel, and we know how Jesus feels about that. "Lukewarm" can be unappetising and tasteless. So here is what God is sharing with me today.

Version: NAS

Luke 17:11-19


11. And it came about while He was on the way to Jerusalem, that He was passing between Samaria and Galilee. 12. And as He entered a certain village, ten leprous men who stood at a distance met Him; 13. and they raised their voices, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy (pity) on us!" 14. And when He saw them, He said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And it came about that as they were going, they were cleansed. 15. Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice, 16. and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him. And he was a Samaritan. 17. And Jesus answered and said, "Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine-- where are they? 18. "Was no one found who turned back to give glory to God, except this foreigner?" 19. And He said to him, "Rise, and go your way; your faith has made you well."
 
I really love taking apart a scripture passage, verse by verse. Nothing in the Bible is included without meaning. Each and every word and phrase; every "jot and tiddle" (Matthew 5:18) of the scripture has impact. It's up to us to read and pray over it and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal it's meaning for us.
 
In verse 11 it says that Jesus was passing between Galilee and Samaria, and we know from earlier study that Samaria was a place that was not frequented by Jews. Samaria was a "mixed" religious nation. Part Hebrew, but "contaminated" with worldly values. Jews looked upon Samaria as a place to avoid and have nothing to do with. Where Samaria is located, to get from one part of Israel to the other, the Jews had to go out of their way around it to avoid it, when "passing through" Samaria would have been the logical and easiest route.
 
What came to my mind is that we often walk a path that is somewhere between "the spiritual" and "the worldly". It says in the Bible that we are not of the world, yet we must live "in" the world. It's easy to be a Christian, yet feel comfortable walking "between" the two mindsets. Sometimes leaning one way or the other. Who here hasn't had a wonderful worship experience on Sunday, to then wake up on Monday morning with a bad attitude and feeling like "the world" is what's ahead of us for the week?
 
Leprosy in Old Testament times was considered a picture of "sin". Associated throughout the Bible with heathens and those who were outcasts of the Jewish community. Today, this scourge is not found in most countries or settings. Poor nations without the ability to provide hygiene needs are usually the only places it can be found, but in Biblical times it was common to see "camps" and communities of lepers, banding together to live with and care for one another. No one else would help or come near them. Lepers were required by law and religious statutes to not mingle in society and to actually announce their whereabouts by saying that they were "unclean", and keeping their distance.
 
Makes me think that there are many of us today that walk among the rest of society that are religiously "unclean", living in deep sin, but wearing a face of  "religious" normalcy, passing through the crowd, no one knowing that our lives are decaying and infected with sin and worldly attitudes. We may look like the rest of the crowd, but inside we are being destroyed, eaten up with unclean ideas, practices, and relationships.

Evidently the lepers in this passage recognized Jesus, because they called Him by name. They cried out in a loud voice, "have pity on us". Makes me wonder if they were asking for healing or just pity. Here's where it can get "touchy" with those of us that are believing for healing. If it doesn't occur right away, do we just put our belief aside and say, "well, OK, we're not healed, but Father, would you just "have pity on me"? The lepers were always asking people to help them as they had no means of supporting themselves. They had no food, clothing or help at all, unless relatives brought them food and supplies. They were used to "settling", not being healed, just asking for pity.

This is where the rubber meets the road. I'm not just talking about "physical" things here, but relational, spiritual, emotional healing, as well. Have we gotten used to being sick, lacking, hurting? Are we comfortable in it? Is it easier to just ask for pity than to keep faith and trust God for His timing and plan? To keep believing that God will do as He promises?

Jesus says "Go show yourselves to the priests", because it was up to the priests to verify their healing. The priests were the ones that pronounced them "clean" so that they could rejoin society. The priests would have to see the miracle and then allow them back among the community. Basically Jesus was saying to them. "I'll do better than pity. I'll heal you. Now have faith and go do what needs to be done." And as they went they were healed.

Belief, and faith, and action. What if when Jesus said now go show the priests, that they said "yeah, right!"
I don't think they would have been healed, but they chose to trust Jesus and do as He said. They were all healed, but only one came back to thank Jesus. Since he was a Samaritan, maybe he had not been a believer. Maybe he was of the world. Jesus will heal those who do not know Him, because He loves us all. He wants us to recognize that it was not a twist of fate, or some strange occurrence. No, the God of the Universe, loves each of us, and He desires that we thank Him and turn to Him for Salvation.

A thankful heart and a voice to praise. Ready to give God the glory and credit for all that He gives to us. Big situation or small, His hand in our lives and circumstance deserves a loud shout of praise! Thank you, Lord! Don't let me settle for pity, when I can have "healing".

love in Jesus,

Debra

What's "Faith" Got to do with it?

Tina Turner might ask the musical question "What's love got to do with it?" but Biblically speaking, Faith seems to be another aspect of the equation. What does "Faith" have to do with our life, walking in the Spirit, and most important, living a life that is responsive to God's will?

Version: NAS

Hebrews 11:1-3
1. Now faith is the assurance of [things] hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2. For by it the men of old gained approval. 3. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.

Hebrews 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please [Him], for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and [that] He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

The entire chapter of Hebrews 11 is essential for our understanding about what "faith" really is. It chronicles many of the "heroes of faith" from the Old Testament. Take a few minutes and read it for yourself to get the full impact of this thing called faith.

In the beginning of this post I knew there were many things to be said about "having faith", "walking by faith", and "living by faith". This is a huge subject and we may be studying and talking about "faith" for the next week or so.

I want to start out by saying that faith is not a "four letter word" like so many people have unfortunately made it out to be. Once we start talking about "faith", it's possible that some people can get "riled up" and rightly so. The concept of faith has been bandied about by the best of them. Talking about faith can lead us down some pathways that I think are important for us to explore. So let's start out with what Faith is NOT:

Faith is not the "willing" of something to be so, nor is it "wishing" for something. Faith cannot be equated with the idea and concept of "wishing", nor using our "will" to get something accomplished. Do not get "faith" and these two confused. Wishing for something is not Biblically grounded and is something out of our head, not our spirit. Do not fall for the line that says "if you believe it you will receive it", unless it is truly something that God has placed in your spirit. Believing to win Publisher's Clearing House Mega Sweepstakes might be a great "idea", but God probably hasn't placed that thought and concept in your heart and spirit. Chances are, that comes from our "head".

Now, I'm not contradicting scripture here, but trying to give further explanation.

Matthew 21:22
"And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive."

Mark 11:22-24
22. And Jesus answered saying to them, "Have faith in God." 23. "Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it shall be [granted] him. 24. "Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they shall be [granted] you.

If you'll read these two verses carefully you will see there is a common word and phrase used in both, and that is "asking and believing in prayer". If God has put something in your heart to believe in, you will feel confident and comfortable asking for it in prayer. God will give you the "release" and conviction that it is right and permitted to pray for. Here is where we need to be being led by the Spirit. If it's something not from God, then ask Him to remove it from your prayers and mind. Let the Holy Spirit direct you in your prayer life.

An example from my own life has been in the area of buying and selling our homes. God would always start preparing me for a house move, often times months in advance. I have totally given over to Him the concept of where we live. There was a period of time that I really wanted to build a house. We looked for plans, decided on one, even had the lot on which to build, but it never materialized. In hindsight I know that it was a "dream" out of my head, but not something that God had placed in my heart and spirit. No matter how much I wanted it, it never happened. I couldn't will it or wish it into existence. I released it to God, with difficultly I might add, and after that, He was able to take us where He truly wanted us to be.

So in these next posts, we'll be talking and learning about many of the aspects of "faith". I'd love to hear some of your own experiences about this. Leave a comment if you feel the "nudge" of the Holy Spirit. We'd all love to hear them.

love, in Jesus,

Debra