A little one from our church is in the midst of condition called HUS. He is in Children's Hospital in Minneapolis right now. Our church, along with all of their family and friends from across this country are in constant prayer right now that this battle will be quickly won - and that he will get to come home soon.
I just thought I would share the link to a website that they have set up to keep us all posted; but I also wanted to pass along a passage from a recent journal entry that his parents entered. They have personally blown me away with their strength and faith throughout this ordeal.
"As we enter into day day 18 of this long battle the following verse jumped out to me tonight.Isaiah 40:28-31 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
This has been a very long and exhausting time for our little Eli and our family as a whole. We appreciate your comments, thoughts and prayers. God's love is flowing through all of you. "
If you want to read more from them and learn more about what is going on with little Eli you can check out this website they have set up.
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/elisaylor
K.Olson
Monday, May 18, 2009
Friday, May 8, 2009
How Did it Happen?
While doing my study of Romans in preparation for this week's sermon, I came across something that really made me pause. I'm not sure that I'm even going to bring it up on Sunday, but it has caused me to follow a line of study personally that I think I'll write some posts about.
Paul is dealing with the fact that most of the Jews of his day rejected the gospel message. In Romans 10:18 he asks the question: Did they not hear (the gospel)? His answer is "Of course they did." Then Paul quotes Psalm 19:4: "Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the end of the world."
The astonishing thing to me is that Psalm 19:1-6 is about the stars and sun proclaiming the character of God. What Paul is claiming is that by the time of the writing of Romans (somewhere between 55-57 A.D), the gospel message had been so widely proclaimed among the Jews that it was like the stars or the sun...known by everyone. Paul says a similar thing in Colossians 1:23. While there is a degree of hyperbole in his statement, it is still amazing that the gospel message had become so widespread in 20-30 years that Paul could make these statements.
It made me wonder what it was about the early church that made it so effective and powerful. What were its secrets? How did it happen? How can we recapture the power of the early church?
Over the next several weeks, I hope to share some of the things I come up with as I study the Scriptures. Then will come the adventure of seeing them come to pass in our lives together.
Paul is dealing with the fact that most of the Jews of his day rejected the gospel message. In Romans 10:18 he asks the question: Did they not hear (the gospel)? His answer is "Of course they did." Then Paul quotes Psalm 19:4: "Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the end of the world."
The astonishing thing to me is that Psalm 19:1-6 is about the stars and sun proclaiming the character of God. What Paul is claiming is that by the time of the writing of Romans (somewhere between 55-57 A.D), the gospel message had been so widely proclaimed among the Jews that it was like the stars or the sun...known by everyone. Paul says a similar thing in Colossians 1:23. While there is a degree of hyperbole in his statement, it is still amazing that the gospel message had become so widespread in 20-30 years that Paul could make these statements.
It made me wonder what it was about the early church that made it so effective and powerful. What were its secrets? How did it happen? How can we recapture the power of the early church?
Over the next several weeks, I hope to share some of the things I come up with as I study the Scriptures. Then will come the adventure of seeing them come to pass in our lives together.
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