Sunday Mind Dump - July 8, 2012

Kerith – the cutting place.

We learned about that today in the message.  God took Elijah to a place of hiding after his public confrontation with the wicked king Ahab. 

The place was called Kerith.  It was a ravine in the wilderness.  The word Kerith means to cut off or cut down.  It was in this dreary place that Elijah found himself cut off from the outside world and utterly alone…. but alone with God.

Elijah starts out with a public ministry, then bam!  God tells him to go hide.

Kerith represents the hidden life that no one sees but God.  It’s your prayer closet.  It’s the Sabbath of rest.  Call it what you will – quiet time, solitude, rest, retreat, no internet, no Facebook, cut off from the outside world – everyone needs it. 

This Quakers used to call it "soul making."

This is how God replenishes your soul and does a work within you before He can do a greater work through you.

Think about how challenging it must have been for Elijah.  He has pronounced a drought – a drought brought about by his own prayers – and rather than getting to hang around and see what happens, God takes him to Kerith and cuts him off from all involvement and activities that would have been stimulating to him.

Kerith is the death of our plans.

Kerith is a place of obscurity… a place of dreary duty that no one sees.  It’s being unnoticed, unknown, and uncelebrated.  It’s the place that delivers us from the “empty praises” of men.

Kerith is learning to do without.  It’s being stripped of friends, love, and companionship.  It makes us content with God.

Kerith is the place that makes us useful for God.

The ravens fed Elijah while he was in Kerith. It was a job for the birds.  Ravens were unclean animals, yet God used them to sustain the prophet.  God can even use unclean vessels to accomplish His purposes.

The brook eventually ran dry.  The same God who gives water can withhold water.  It’s His sovereign right.

Our human feelings tell us that once God has given us something, He should never take it away.

• i.e., Once God gives us a job… He should never take that job away.
• Once God gives us a spouse… He should never take that spouse away.
• Once God gives us a child… He should never take that child away.
• Once God has given us a ministry… He should never take that ministry from us.

But God doesn’t base His decisions on human feelings.  They are based on His sovereign purposes. 

The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.  Blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21).

The will of God will cause you problems.  Elijah went to the place God told him to go and was doing what God told him to do…. yet, the stream still ran dry.

A dried up brook is often a sign of God’s approval of your life, not His disappointment.

God wasn’t angry with Elijah when the stream ran dry.  On the contrary, He was pleased with Elijah and was preparing him for a greater work.

Attendance was very strong today.

A few families came in after service started and had to be escorted down to the front row just  to find a seat!

The music was good.

I played bass guitar again because our regular bass player was out of town.  Really enjoyed it.

Mike C. played drums because our regular drummer was out of town too – and he did an exceptional job.  BTW, he came to church after working a night shift.  He’s been without sleep for 36 hours.  Real trooper.  Appreciate his dedication.

I don’t think he came to hear my sermon…. I thnk he just wanted to play drums that bad.  :-) 

The fellowship dinner after church was great!  The room was filled to capacity.  Lots of good food.   More than enough.  Rhonda R. and Lynda P. were the hosts for section 2 and pulled the event together very nicely.  I really enjoyed visiting with so many people.  Everyone did a good job of cleaning up afterwards too.

Next week is section 3’s turn.  Invite your friends to join us.

I really enjoyed the offertory today – Blessed Assurance.  It was played well and sung well.  Very inspiring.  Even the young people are enjoying the hymns that we have been doing for the last few months.

There are a lot of good comments on Facebook about todays service.

A number of families were out of town this week – pleasure trips.  That’s a good thing.  I think every person/family who is part of the PCC family should take a weekend get-away on a regular basis.  It’s healthy for you, your family, and your spiritual life.  Besides, after you clear the cobwebs out of your mind you are able to serve better when you get back.

One family went to Port St. Joe for fishing, scalloping, and water recreation.  Sounds like a good trip.

Soon I will be taking some time off.  I’m unplugging.  No phone.  No computers.  No social media.  And nobody who has a phone.  I need to find a palm tree on a beach.

And while I’m gone, someone else can preach for me.

The secret to good leadership is finding people who are talented and gifted and then empowering them to do the best they can.

I was carrying a heavy burden today.  I put my best poker face on.  And still it was a great day at PCC.  The bitter always comes with the sweet.

I think I would like another trip to the mountains this fall.

My garden will be tilled under in the next day or two.  Only the squash, peppers, and field peas remain.  I’ll be planting cool weather vegetables in the fall.

A friend of mine is going fishing for red snapper tomorrow.  Another friend went last week and tore them up.   

My next door neighbors moved to Dallas Texas a few years ago.  I heard they are homesick and want to come back to the area.  I asked why.  Because they miss being close to the water.  That’ why.

A fishing trip is in my near future.  I’ve got the fever for some red drum, flounder, and mullet.

It’s great living in Florida when you take advantage of the outdoor recreational opportunities. 

And oh yeah, now that basketball season is finally over, football season is just around the corner.