Greetings Everyone
Greetings Everyone.
I am writing to give you good news of my update. I am writing this note from my office at church! I am not in everyday but in the process of slowing working myself back into a full-time presence! I will be here on Sunday and plan on teaching my 9 AM Bible Study on the Book of Romans! We will be studying Romans 1:18-32.
During this time of surgery and recovery my thoughts have turned to healing. We believe that healing is God’s business and God’s work. God uses many different processes to accomplish this. The one most of us in the Western World are familiar with is through the medical world. We are so blessed to have this resource available to us. Yes, it is costly. Yes, there is great debate about its accessibility to the majority of people. But also yes, it is effective and has extended the life expectancy of many. We should be grateful for the skilled physicians, their teams and the hospitals that are accessible to many. This is one of God’s tools.
I have also seen God’s healing work without the work of the medical world. I was asked one time to pray for a horse that was dying prematurely. I had never been involved in such praying before, but this was a specific request of a special friend. The horse was healed and the 16-year-old owner of the horse accepted Christ. I saw a 39-year-old mother of 3 healed of heart disease confirmed by her cardiologist. I have witnessed many other such occasions. Prayer is another of God’s tool and is often used in conjunction with the medical world.
I have read reports and talked with missionaries who are serving in 3rd world countries. Often these communities have little or no medical care. The missionaries will testify to seeing the hand of God heal in miraculous ways reflecting the healing accounts of the Gospels.
There is another part of healing that is often overlooked. I have a friend who has always struggled with weight, 100 to 150 pounds beyond the acceptable highest standard for his size. He has worked consciously to remove the pounds. In one conversation after a successful venture of weight loss he commented, “The only problem with draining the swamp (losing the weight) is that when the swamp is drained it reveals all the ugly things that have been buried for years beneath its surface.” We were then able to talk about a different type of healing, that of past hurts and the healing of memories.
It is in the healing of past hurts and the memories of those hurts where I believe God also does great work. I prayed with a woman who had not slept through the night for nearly 40 years. She had been sexually assaulted for two years by a cousin and uncle at 6 and 7 years of age. The nightmares woke her up on a regular basis. It destroyed her relationships as an adult. But, through prayer the Lord reached into her soul, healed the scar tissue in her memory so she might be set free. I remember the phone call early one morning when in tears she shared, “I didn’t wake up. I slept through the night.” Hallelujah.
Where does the wounded healer want to touch you? Through which means do you ask Him to work? I would not have begun this healing process if it hadn’t been for an honest assessment of my needs and the seeking of help. The same is true when it comes to what God can and do in our lives.
“May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do this.” 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
See you all soon.
Pastor Paul
News & Events
Sunday, January 28th
9:00 a.m. Bible Study in the Chapel, Romans 1:18-32
10:00 a.m. Worship Service with Pastor Tim Lanham
Monday, January 29th
5:30 p.m. Handbell Choir
7:00 p.m. Choir Practice
Tuesday, January 30th
7:00 a.m. Men’s Breakfast and Bible Study
Wednesday, January 31st
10 a.m. Ladies AM Bible Study (LAMBS)
Thursday, February 1st
10 a.m. Bible Babes bible study
Sunday, February 4th
Annual Meeting of the Congregation
Check out the Events Calendar for more upcoming events.
FPC Youth Group’s next meeting is Wednesday, Feb. 7th, 6 p.m.
4th – 8th grade students join us the first and third Wednesdays of every month, from 6:00 pm to 7:15 pm. Our gatherings begin with a shared dinner, setting the stage for fellowship and connection through an intentional topic for the evening that will be introduced, applied to our daily lives, supported by scripture, and experienced in a fun-loving atmosphere. Meetings will take place in Fellowship Hall. Enter the glass doors on 3rd Street and take the stairs up.
