Saturday, January 11, 2014

Familiar Food?


courtesy free clip art
 
The church pot luck was always a good time of fellowship and lots of good food. 

Families were asked to bring three dishes, a main dish, a salad and a desert, while single people could bring potato chips rolls and butter or perhaps a side dish.

Coffee and punch were provided and the blessing over the food had been invoked.  The people began to line up, Pastor and his wife were first and also the elderly.

Our children were hungry and they came to me with a question; “Which food is ours?”

I tried to explain that the entire spread of delicious food was there for them to partake of, yet they wanted the familiar and were not ready to experiment with food that seemed different to them.

This caused me to consider how we as Christians often react when we are exposed to portions of the Scriptures that are considered off limits by some who fear the Holy Spirit and the manifestation of the supernatural.

We are happy to nibble on our common everyday Bible stories that we are accustomed to.

Yes, we are willing to acknowledge that Jesus did miracles and healed the sick, but when we come to scriptures that indicate that even today it is God’s will that we prosper and be in health even as our soul prospers, we often balk like a mule.

Paul indicated that although some spiritual gifts are to bless the church, they must be tempered and used wisely.  Then he said, "Do NOT forbid to speak in tongues."

Paul also stated that He personally prayed in tongues more than you all.  Apparently if we are not using our prayer language, we are missing a powerful tool to fight and win spiritual battles. 

Jude exhorted us to pray in tongues as this will build us up in our most Holy Faith.

As we view the table that God has spread and consider it all as eatable food, we must realize that to leave out what is provided is doing ourselves and our families an injustice.

Jesus asked us the question; “If you as fathers (and mothers) have hungry children, would you give them a stone or a serpent instead of bread?  How much more will the Father give the Holy Spirit to them who ask?”

Get ready because the dinner bell is ringing and the table is spread !!

 

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Excellent !! Nancy Kehr

Floyd said...

There are many gifts to be sure. I pray for the one I often lack the most and that Paul said was the greatest; love. It's a struggle in the flesh to be sure. Thanks for the reminder.

a joyful noise said...

It is true that all the Gifts - spiritual and administrative must and should operate by Love.

Sheila at Longings End said...

Taste and see that the Lord is good...often in ways we cannot even perceive or allow ourselves to perceive. THanks, Hazel, for this post. Blessings...

Lori Dupes said...

This is a very good and interesting read. I find it interesting that I read this just after watching a video a friend sent me regarding speaking in tongues, So very true.