Thursdays Thoughts ...

Winter is trying its best to arrive, with a little snow and lower temperatures I believe it is now here. When I walked to church this morning I realized that I need to put the liner in my winter coat. Up until now I haven't needed it, in fact I didn't wear my winter coat from the beginning of December until last week. I am actually looking forward to a little winter. It should be cold and we should have some snow in January around here.

God is doing great things in many people's lives. Not easy things, but great things. I have heard from a few this week on how God has been working on, and in, them since Sunday's services. One of those is a fairly new believer who told me how that contacted some people that they had bitterness with from the past and cleared it up. How awesome is that? Another contacted me to let me know that the Lord had really worked on them this week and how they were dealing with their unforgiveness issue. Both of these people told how they wanted to come forward on Sunday but didn't do it for a variety of reason. We are trying to reestablish the power and priority of the altar. Not that every service has an altar, and not that I believe that is the only place to deal with spiritual issues. However, I do believe their is much to be said for coming forward in a service, the accountability it creates, the testimony it is to others and the act of humble submission to God.

This Sunday I am preaching on one of the more difficult and powerful issues in the series on "Shedding the Excess". I covet your prayers for this one in particular. We are already feeling some resistance and we aren't even to the weekend. This is some true spiritual warfare. But God is greater.

Our Wednesday night Bible Studies and prayer times have been really good in the last 3 weeks. We have been looking at revival and prayer for revival. It is very convicting to look at this honestly. I really sense that we have some people who are taking this seriously. I know that if we take it seriously then God will do His part, when He will do it is something I don't know. But that fact that He desires to move in that way is clear, we have to get ready and allow Him to do it.

Here's to winter and to seeing God do even more powerful things this weekend. That prayer is not just for here, but wherever you are as well.