Blog Archives - River of Life Church

Stung by a Bee!

8/23/2023

August, is a time of year in Minnesota, when wasps, hornets, and bees are busy. Their busyness means they show up in places where we are doing stuff.

One of the things I do each day is picking up apples that have fallen off our three apple trees. It is a big apple year, and the fallen apples almost fill a five-gallon pail. The apples are not ripe for us, but the bees enjoy them and are buzzing.
Usually, they are kind of intoxicated by the cider, so I am not too concerned until I got bit earlier this week! The bee was small, but the hurt was big! My finger throbbed until evening.

It made me think about hurts people get from small things. Rudeness, impoliteness, gossip. It starts small but the stinger gets in and really hurts.
Jesus is the only antidote. Let Him take the stinger out, so you can get back to enjoying life as is should be enjoyed.

What is in Your Hand?

8/14/2023

Simple question. What is in your hand? Perhaps a phone, a pencil, a tool, or a dirty diaper.
God was convinced that Moses was the person to lead Israel out of Egypt. Moses was not convinced. God asked Moses that simple question, "What is in your hand?". Moses, the sheep herder, had a staff. God had Moses throw it down and Moses ran away because his staff had become a snake. Apparently, Moses had the same affection I have for snakes.
God told Moses to pick the snake up by the tail. If I had to poick up a snake, it would NOT be by the tail where it could easily wrap around and bite me!
Moses picked up that snake and it turned back into his staff.
God's message for Moses, for you and I is that He can take whatever is in your hand and turn it into a demonstration of His power.
Check out Exodus 4:1-20.
Let me know what God has used in your hand to demonstrate His power.

Concerns

8/7/2023

Our world is filled with concerns that range from a nation's engaged in military action against another nation to the closing of a business. There were similar concerns during Jesus' time on earth. Nations were at war, people had health needs, there was homelessness and hunger. Jesus spent time praying to the Father and only did what the Father called Him to do.
I believe one of His disciple's noticed a connection between Jesus praying and Jesus doing the Father’s will about concerns around Him.
Luke 11:1 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When He finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”
As important as breathing is to your physical life, praying is to your spiritual life.
The effectiveness of your spiritual life is directly connected to your talking and listening to the LORD.
Take your concerns to the LORD in prayer.

Relationships

8/2/2023

Relationships are wonderfully challenging. When a relationship is good, it is encouraging, fun and does not require high maintenance. If a relationship is sinking, it is miserable. Some are able to shrug off a sinking relationship while others of you are devastated.
Jesus calls us to do the "one anothers" in every relationship. Be kind to one another. Encourage one another. Forgive one another. Pray for one another.
Pick a "one another" to do today in one of your sinking relationships and let me know what happens.