Elaine and Clara blessed us with a beautiful rendition of the song "Before the Throne of God Above". Here is a recording of the group Selah singing it:
Updates:
- Vanessa's mother is doing better. Hopefully she will be out of the nursing home by the 22nd.
Praise Reports:
- Jamie Billings had a great trip to Georgia to see her many cousins, she's excited about going back to college, and of course, she's thrilled about her recent engagement.
- After a little scare, Sandy got a good report from the doctor. Praise the Lord!
- Mary is having her friend Becky stay at her house and is really enjoying the company.
- Warren had a potential disaster with his roof last week, but everything was taken care of in time.
- Joyce and Aubrey had a safe trip home from St. Louis, welcome back!
Prayer Requests:
- Rita and Charlotte asked for prayer for their brother, Lou, who is going through dialysis.
- Keep Becky in your prayers as she goes on a journey that may lead to California.
- Remember the auctioneer, Ken Warner, who had a terrible accident involving his Achilles tendon and has had multiple surgeries on his leg.
- Pray for the young people in our group who have big decisions to make about their futures.
- Always pray for the lost, and that the Lord will send workers out into the harvest.
- Keep Joyce's friend Larry in your prayers.
- Pray for our nation.
Cleanup Crew:
- On August 22 our helpful cleaners will be the Rogers family!
Romans 10: 9-10
It is clear from this verse that we believe from our heart, the heart is the apparatus of faith.
Matthew 22:37
We have been talking like we have three distinct parts: body/flesh, heart/spirit, and mind/soul. But this verse mentions both mind and soul. What are we to think? The fact is that we cannot pigeon-hole all of these terms, they are very fuzzy.
Romans 7:15-22
Verse 22 speaks of our "inner being" or "inner man". When it comes right down to it, this is the entirety of our spirit, soul, heart, etc. It is something we cannot see.
1 Corinthians 1:26-2:14
God speaks His Word through foolishness so it can't possibly be mistaken for human wisdom. If we are offended or frightened of appearing foolish and childlike, we will miss God. In modern-day America our minds are in charge and our faith is on the shelf. Analytical thinking has little to do with walking by faith (but always keep in mind verses like Romans 12:2). We pursue education as an end in itself, but that could actually be dangerous and lead us away from a bold, vibrant faith. It is easy to be offended at the things of God when we are ruled by our minds. But how do we expect God to bless us with great gifts when we are offended at the small things (like tongues)? We may have a lot to unlearn (Luke 24:38). We must become students of our inner beings as regenerated by the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:17).
We must not pursue our inner being blindly, however. Jesus is our pattern, and our actions and beliefs must always be in accordance with scripture.
What does living this way really look like in our lives? Perhaps we can be more "spiritual" by disconnecting from our mind and body at times. Fasting and meditation are very practical, very Biblical ways to get in touch with our inner man, and with our faith in God. Do not be distracted by the mind's aversions, and always pray with the Psalmist:
It is clear from this verse that we believe from our heart, the heart is the apparatus of faith.
Matthew 22:37
We have been talking like we have three distinct parts: body/flesh, heart/spirit, and mind/soul. But this verse mentions both mind and soul. What are we to think? The fact is that we cannot pigeon-hole all of these terms, they are very fuzzy.
Romans 7:15-22
Verse 22 speaks of our "inner being" or "inner man". When it comes right down to it, this is the entirety of our spirit, soul, heart, etc. It is something we cannot see.
1 Corinthians 1:26-2:14
God speaks His Word through foolishness so it can't possibly be mistaken for human wisdom. If we are offended or frightened of appearing foolish and childlike, we will miss God. In modern-day America our minds are in charge and our faith is on the shelf. Analytical thinking has little to do with walking by faith (but always keep in mind verses like Romans 12:2). We pursue education as an end in itself, but that could actually be dangerous and lead us away from a bold, vibrant faith. It is easy to be offended at the things of God when we are ruled by our minds. But how do we expect God to bless us with great gifts when we are offended at the small things (like tongues)? We may have a lot to unlearn (Luke 24:38). We must become students of our inner beings as regenerated by the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:17).
We must not pursue our inner being blindly, however. Jesus is our pattern, and our actions and beliefs must always be in accordance with scripture.
What does living this way really look like in our lives? Perhaps we can be more "spiritual" by disconnecting from our mind and body at times. Fasting and meditation are very practical, very Biblical ways to get in touch with our inner man, and with our faith in God. Do not be distracted by the mind's aversions, and always pray with the Psalmist:
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.
