April 15 , 2007

    Have you noticed this in the scriptures, “If any are sick among you let them call for the elders.” James 5:14  Do you do that when you get sick?  Or do you just call the doctor or take medicine?  There is a process in the Bible, “Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.”  See, there’s a process for you.

   “Why do I have to go through the process?  Can’t God just do it?”

   The process is there for you to grow in character; to learn obedience.  For you to obey is very precious to the Lord.

   And so, Jesus tells us, “ask…, seek…, knock …,” but you have to ask.  You have to seek.  You have to knock.  God will meet with you: “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” Matthew 18:20  But you have to get in the car and drive to church.  You have to decide:  football game or church? 

   “Well, what about those guys?  They’re not going to be damned and go to hell because they didn’t come to church tonight, are they?”

   No, not at all.

   “Does He love them as much as He loves us?  After all, we’re the ones who came.”

   Yes, He does love us.  He loves them too.

   “Then what are we doing?”

   We’re being obedient.

   “Why?”

   Because we know it blesses our Father.  And, you know what?  I feel His pleasure when I know I’m walking in obedience.  And I love to be obedient.  I love to feel God’s pleasure.

   Yes, I have one of those love/hate relationships with obedience just like everybody else.  I’ve got the spirit inside me, which God has given me, which just loves to be obedient.  And I’ve got this body of flesh that goes, “No, not now.”  And it’s always going to be that way until I get my brand new body.  So I’ve learned to be strong in the grace of the Lord.

   God loves us.  And God wants to bless us.  But He is telling you, “Ask me for it.  Pray for this.”

   God wants you to ask Him.  Why?  Because He wants to build a relationship with you as you pursue Him, as you run after Him.

   Keep reading.  One hour every day.  Keep pursuing God.

May The Lord Jesus Christ Be Magnified!

Pastor Leo A. Giovinetti

lley Christian Fellowship