Jack’s Winning Words 11/19/15
“We must trust in the slow work of God.”  (Teilhard de Chardin)  The Psalmist (Ps 13) calls out, “How long, Lord, will you utterly forget me?”  Do you ever feel that God has responded to your prayers by putting you on hold?  In teaching confirmands about prayer, I’ve said that God always answers prayer…Sometimes it’s, Yes; sometimes, No; sometimes, Let’s wait and see.  It’s how a loving parent treats the requests of a child.  “Faith” means, “I trust.”    ;-)  Jack  

FROM LBP IN PLYMOUTH:  I remember that confirmation lesson====JACK:  I hope that you're able to pass it on someday.

FROM HONEST JOHN:  I think of prayer as a communicative process..kind of like texting.     I think God listens to us and responds.    In the process we begin to see our way.====JACK:  I'm trying to visualize Jesus, texting.  ...in fact, try to picture Jesus living in this world.  In biblical days he put the day's "news" into parables.  Imagine his reaction to ISIS, the "debates," and the economic divide.  Maybe that's what "God with is" is all about.

FROM THE 3RD ONE:  Thank you!

FROM TARMART REV:  "TRUST AND OBEY, for there’s no other way To be happy in Jesus, But to trust and obey." You have a way of bringing those old hymns tucked away in my heart back up to the surface once again, Jack!! Thanks!! I'll probably be singing that quietly in my mind all through the day once again!!====JACK:  "When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,  What a glory He sheds on our way!  While we do His good will, He abides with us still,  And with all who will trust and obey."  This hymn was inspired by the words of a young man who stood to speak at a D.L. Moody Crusade.  "I don't know much about this Christianity, but I'm going to trust, and I'm going to obey."  Someone gave these words to John Sammis, and he composed the hymn.

FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  good words for today, Jack.  thanks... and we are about to enter the waiting season of Advent...====JACK:  The early disciples expected the 2nd Advent to happen in their lifetime.  God's definition of "time" takes some trust.  "O come, O come...."====ST PAUL:  I always tried to help the confirmands understand that God is not limited in any way by time or space, as we are.  hard for them to wrap their minds around such an "other worldly" concept.====JACK:  When they grasp that, have them grapple with God who is uncreated and has no form.  "Jesus" can help with that, but, then they will have to try and understand that Jesus and God are the same, but not the same.  Having said that, I think that teaching confirmation classes was one of the favorite things I did as a pastor.

FROM BB IN ILLINOIS:  Amen! I’ve struggled this past week.  Thinking that a sparrow cannot fall from the nest without being noticed by the Almighty …and realizing (for the first time?) that it does not say that the sparrow does not fall nor that the sparrow will be caught by God but only that it’s plight is under the watchful eye….====JACK:  Here is a favorite song of mine.  It tells of care for each of his loved ones.
Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come,
Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heaven and home,
When Jesus is my portion? My constant friend is He:
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

"Let not your heart be troubled," His tender word I hear,
And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears;
Though by the path He leadeth, but one step I may see;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise,
When songs give place to sighing, when hope within me dies,
I draw the closer to Him, from care He sets me free;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

I sing because I'm happy,  I sing because I'm free,
For His eye is on the sparrow,  And I know He watches me.

FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:  God does always answers prayers ....just not in the ways we want.  Even though we want things He knows what we need.  It's a hard lesson sometimes but He knows what He's doing!====JACK:  That's why Jesus taught the disciples (and us) to pray, "THY will be done on earth, as it is in heaven."

FROM CL IN CALIFORNIA:  Sounds like you've read one of my favorite pieces:
Patient Trust
          By Pierre Teilhard De Chardin
Above all, trust in the slow work of God
We are quite naturally impatient in everything
      to reach the end without delay.
We should like to skip the intermediate stages.
We are impatient of being on the way to something
      unknown, something new.
And yet it is the law of progress
      that it is made by passing through
      some states of instability ---
      and that it may take a very long time.
And so I think it is with you.
      Your ideas mature gradually --- let them grow,
      let them shape themselves, without undue haste.
Don't try to force them on,
      as though you could be today what time
      (that is to say, grace and circumstances
      acting on your own good will)
      will make of you tomorrow.
Only God could say what this new spirit
      gradually forming within you will be.
Give Our Lord the benefit of believing
      that his hand is leading you,
and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself
      in suspense and incomplete.
====JACK:  It NOW has become a favorite, and I'm saving it.  I came across it while reading, "Tattoos on the Heart", by Fr Gregory Boyle who works among gang members in L.A.  The change he would like comes slowly.  In fact, most of us have, at times, experienced God's slowness.  But, that's our problem, not his.

FROM HAWKEYE GEORGE:  That helps to be more faithful.====JACK:  Even the faithful will sometimes say, "I believe; help my unbelief."====HG:  True for me. And I've had soooo many God-answers, BUT - I STILL NEED HELP there.