The Hole in Your Soul June 24, 2009

Faith Fills the Hole in Our Soul

Hebrews 11:1 KJV Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1 KJV).

Have you ever read this chapter of Hebrews? I counted the word faith 24 times in this one chapter. Paul illustrates historical examples of how faith worked in the lives of Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sara, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses. Faith brought down the walls of Jericho and closed the mouths of lions. Faith in Jehovah God can set you free. Faith can make you whole.

Faith works the same way today as it did in the days of Daniel. Can you imagine the faith of Shadrach, Meschak and Abednego? Three Hebrew children, who would not worship the King but held tight to their devotion to Jehovah, were cast into a fiery furnace. They were not burned. When we pray, we are demonstrating faith that God is there and that He hears our prayers.

Faith is the assurance of things hoped for. Without faith what hope is there? Hope is the trust that God indeed loves us and answers our prayers. Without hope there is only doubt, fear and despondency. Consider those who are lost and outside of God’s protection. It is a dismal consideration. Without Jesus Christ there is only hopelessness. Some may put their trust and hope in other people or in money but a hope placed in these can only bring disappointment and grief. Men may disappoint and desert you, but God never will. He is always there. When we need Him He carries us when we can’t even walk. Sometimes, the things of this life are overwhelming. Without hope, faith and trust in Him, how can we possibly hope?

Faith is the knowledge that life on earth is not all there is. Faith is in knowing that beyond this life we have life eternal with God. I know people who believe that this life is all there is, that when we die, that is just the end. How sad it would be to go through everyday thinking that all we had to hope for is nothing. As Christians we have faith that one day we will be in heaven and abide with Him. Jesus is the only way to heaven. Do not be deceived. There is one and only one way to heaven and it is through Jesus Christ. John 3:16 is all you have to know to be saved. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son and whosoever BELIEVES in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

In this life on earth we have two choices. We can believe and be saved or we can reject Jesus and go to hell. It is that simple.

To have faith there must be belief. Unbelievers have no hope. Faith is so simple. God made His gospel so simple even little children can understand it. It doesn’t take great intellect to understand that God made us. He loves us and He wants to have a relationship with us. Some scholars have tried to disprove God’s Word. They have taken away their own hope. They try to reason too much about this simple story. By picking apart the Word of God they have made it hard. The brain God gave them has gotten in the way of being able to believe.

Humility and faith go hand in hand. There are times when nonbelievers think they have it all figured out and they feel they have out smarted God. This is a major stumbling block for them to believe. It blinds them to the simple faith that passes all understanding. We as humans are not meant to know everything. If God wanted us to know everything now He would have told us in His Word. What He did tell us is He loved us so much He sent His only Son to die for us. No one can disprove this no matter how hard they try.

All human beings have a big hole in their soul. People try to fill this hole with many things. Money, prestige, fame, fortune, drugs, alcohol, sex but they will always come up empty. The hole will still be there. The only thing that fits in the hole is God and his love for us.

Faith fills up the hole and makes us whole. Trying to fill this hole in our soul with anything but God is like trying to put a square peg into a round hole. Nothing will fit. Nothing will fill the hole except for the power and love of God. He created us with the hole in our soul. He created us to only be completely at peace when we fill the hole with His love.

What we know as Christians is we have the faith one great day every knee shall bow, every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Now there is something you can put your faith in. There is the hope that fills the hole in the soul. There is the answer.

Dear Lord Help us to demonstrate our faith in You so that others may believe. Help us to help the lost fill the holes in their souls with Your love. Thank you for Your Word and Your peace. We praise You and love you, let Your light so shine that others may see You in us everyday. In Your Holy Name I pray, Amen.

How do you fill the hole in your soul?
Does your faith shine so that others may see something in you that they desire?
How can we reach those who need Jesus the most?

©Angela Posey-Arnold 2008

Reach Out January 22, 2009

Over the last few days I have had the gracious opportunity to lend my writing assistance to my Mother and two of her dear friends and sisters in Christ. They all attend the church where I grew up, Haleyville First United Methodist Church in Haleyville, Alabama.

The Pastor initiated a new program for Lent this year. He asked for 40 people to write a devotional. Just one per person. These devotionals are to be used in a Lenten Worship Devotional Booklet in service of the Lenten Season.

I have been blessed to be able to be the editor for these three devotionals–My Mother’s, her dear friend, Maryanna Foster and a very special lady whom I have always known, Mrs. Freda King Crumpton. I could start with how Mother knew Freda when she was a baby and how Freda babysat me when I was a baby but let’s just suffice it to say, we are all life time church family.

As a Christian Writer I read and wrtie devotionals and articles everyday. I read many other writer’s but it is rare to obtain stories from real Christians who spend their time serving and blessing others in many ways besides writing about it. Since they so graciously asked me to edit their peices I have been blessed by each story. I have asked each of them if it is okay for me to share their stories. They are excited about that.

In this form I will share each story in my blog. In another form these will all be submitted for publication.

My prayer is that you are as blessed as I have been by these three servants of God. I will post My Mother’s first. If you are blessed by this, email me and I will pass it on to them. They would love that.

Outreach

By Bonnie Posey

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. (1 Peter 4:10 NIV)

Being of a ‘certain age’ and a member of Haleyville First United Methodist Church most of my life, I have always been confident we were a church doing the Lord’s work. Several years ago a brash young preacher assigned to us took a very good deep look at us. In love and honesty he said, “You are the best church I have ever seen at taking care of yourselves, now you are going to reach out to others. This church is going to reach out next June to the Navajo Reservation in New Mexico. It will be a mission outreach.”

My initial response was, “I will plan the trip but I am not going out west in the summer, it will be too hot.” Famous last words. My husband, Merle, said “Sure, we can do that.” So away we went along with 32 other people from this church and two other congregations in our district. Each person seeking something different. Some just looking to sightsee the Indians or Monument Valley. But all were available to be used by God. I’ve learned, God is not looking for ability; He is looking for availability, willing vessels to be used by Him.

Personally, I became available to the call I had been hearing since I was a teen sitting in the balcony of this same church hearing missionaries sharing their experiences in far off lands. God has shown me the call to mission and outreach can be in a ‘not so far off land’. It can be in New Mexico, Eastern Kentucky, Cherokee, North Carolina, Wyoming, and Mississippi or right in your own back door. Possibly every Tuesday morning serving on the Helping Hand committee.

When I made myself available to be used by God for His purposes He used me to reach out to others. All of us have the potential to do great things for God with the gifts and talents He has so graciously given. God is looking for willing vessels with an open heart to be available for Him to work through.

“God doesn’t call the equipped, He equips the called.”

Dear God, You love all Your children. Teach me to use my time and gifts to serve others. In Jesus Holy Name, Amen.

www.angelaposeyarnold.com

The Old Saying Goes……… October 21, 2008

The Old Saying Goes…..

By Angela Posey-Arnold

I get so many catalogs in the mail at Christmas time. I love looking through the wonderful decorations and gift giving ideas. I find myself dog-earing pages to go back and order this for Momma and that for Beth, but I never do it. I think it is the shipping that changes my mind. J

Beth and I have been friends since kindergarten. I guess if we counted all the gifts we have given each other over the last 43 years, the results would be astonishing. Since she  had children, I have gone broke. J

For the last few years we have bought each other a candle. She gives me a lavender scented candle and I give her a hazlenut scented candle. It has gotten to the point of being really silly. So this year on her birthday we decided we would do this differently from now on. It is the thought that counts, right?

Looking through a stack of catalogs I found the perfect gift for Beth’s  birthday. A pair of pink I Love Lucy pajamas. She would love them. They were $45.00—no way. I love Beth but….$45 is not in the budget. I cut out the picture of the pjs and sent it to her. As I do every year on her birthday I called her first thing that morning and sang my rendition of Happy Birthday. She said,  “Ang, I got the pajamas. I wore them last night. They are so cute. Thank you so much”.

Now I know everyone cannot get away with this with just anybody. But, Beth and I can, because without explaining, we understand. For Christmas she is getting a brand new 2010 Camaro. And she is getting me a Lincoln MKS,  2010, of course.

Well, if this don’t work for your friends then maybe you intend on crafting some items this year. I know I do. I have seen some of the most enduring sayings written on signs for the home. They could be used in cross stitch or painting, scrapbooking, where ever your crafts take you.

I want to share some with you……..

THANKSGIVING:

·         Give Thanks With A Grateful Heart

·         Gooble Til You Wobble

·         Take Time to be Thankful

·         There is always, always, always something to be thankful for. Always.

Blessings and God’s Love:

·         Just because you can’t see the air

·         Doesn’t mean you stop breathing…..

·         And just because you can’t see God

·         Doesn’t mean you stop believeing.

 

Then I saw this one on a pillow and on a wooden wall sign—

·         “Love You More”

 

·         “IT IS WHAT IT IS”

Some of these you may have seen before—

·         Having someone to love is family

·         Having somewhere to go is home

·         Having both is a blessing.

 

·         It is Never Too Late To Live Happily Ever After….

 

·         Enjoy the little things in life…for one day you will love back and realize they were the big things!

 

OH AND I LOVE THIS ONE!!!……

 

·         Live in such a way, that those who know you but don’t know God, will come to know God because they know you.

 

·         God didn’t promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, nor sun without rain. But He did promise, strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way.

 

Loss/Grief/Death

Anonymous author

 

·         Do not stand at my grave and weep

·         I am not there, I do not sleep

·         I am a thousand winds that blow

·         I am the diamond glints of snow

·         I am the sunlight on ripend grain

·         I am the gentle autumn rain

·         Do not stand at my grave and cry

·         I am not there, I did not die

·         If you don’t understand this and think it a lie

·         Get to know Jesus, He will tell you why.

 

·         Family—forever, for always, no matter what.

 

And then this funny one—

·         I love you more today than I did yesterday…..cause yesterday you really ticked me off.:)

 

·         Life isn’t about waiting for the storms to pass, It’s about learning to dance in the rain.

 

·         Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

 

A funny one for an office door——I would like to make this for my brother—–

·         Nobody Gets In To See The Wizard-Not Nobody-Not NoHow! (remember in the Wizard of Oz?)

 

True Americana—better hang on to some of these—we may be loosing them faster than we think—

O Father—Help our nation to turn to You. In Jesus Name. Amen

 

·         “I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had no where else to go” Abraham Lincoln

 

·         “Be joyful always, pray continually.” I Thess 5:16-17

 

·         Live in such a way that if anyone should speak against you, no one would believe it.

 

·         “Whatever you are, be a good one.” Abraham Lincoln

 

·         He Who Kneels Before God Can Stand Before Anyone

 

·         God grants liberty only to those that love it, and are always ready to guard and defend it.

 

·         The Grace of God Abounds In His Love

 

·         Remember dear child, when you’re in the midst of a storm. Hold fast. The storm will fade. The sun will shine. All in God’s time. Kairos.

 

·         I may not be rich and famous, but I do have priceless treasures.

 

·         We are so blessed.

 

·         Being happy doesn’t mean everything is perfect. It means you decide to see beyond the imperfections.

 

·         May God give you for every storm a rainbow

·         For every tear, a smile

·         For every care, a promise

·         And a blessing in each trial.

 

·         “God who gave us life gave us liberty. Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God?” Thomas Jefferson

 

·         Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord. Psalms

 

·         Maybe I can’t stop the downpour, but I will always join you for a walk in the rain.

 

·         Families are God’s design on earth

·         Each person uniquely created, pieced and stitched together with different qualities and gifts

·         Most of all held together by GRACE.

 

The last ones are favorites:

 

·         *Always Kiss Me Goodnight*

·         *Good friends are like quilts, they age with you, yet never loose their warmth.

And my very very favorite for the year 2008…………………………………

·         JESUS KNOWS ME, THIS I LOVE

 

Hope you can use some of these in your Christmas Gift giving ideas this year.

 

 

Angela