By Joe Widick
It could be any room, but for this article it is room 228. It was simply picked at random. Have you ever stopped to think about what goes on in a Bible classroom at Maple Hill? Have you ever considered the way lives are being impacted and molded? Do you ever think about the many life lessons that are taught each Wednesday and Sunday? Room 228 came into existence in 1990 and has seen many lessons taught, many students come through the door and many teachers come prepared to make a difference.
It is Sunday Morning about 10:15. Room 228 has been prepared for the incoming students. On one wall there are pictures of God’s creation. On another wall there is a reminder of who are missionaries are. On the chalk board there is a memory verse that is written down. The student’s chairs are arranged in perfect order for the incoming students. All is ready. Maybe there will be a question today by one of the students about why God made it rain for forty days and forty nights. Someone may ask about why Jesus is called the “good shepherd.” Someone might want to know why the sky is blue and the grass is green. You never know what a child might be thinking. The teacher will smile and her/his best answer.
It is Wednesday night about 7:15. Once again the students are gathering for class. It happens on such a regular basis. Room 228 is still ready for the onrush of children who will fill the seats and listen to another lesson. Tonight there may be one student who has not had a good day at school, or he/she may have heard their parents arguing about something. The teacher notices something is not exactly right and gives the child an extra special hug that says it will be better. Class is filled with information and fun stuff to do. In room 228 all the cares and worries of the world seem to disappear and all is well for it is in this room they learn about the great heroes of the Bible and the exciting stories come to life. A special man by the name of Jesus is talked about constantly. A young mind begins to realize that this man really loves me and cares for me.
Sunday Morning, Wednesday evening, the bell rings and the class comes to a close. The teacher says; “Goodbye, I’ll see you next time.” One by one the students leave room 228 to meet their parents and head home. The teacher looks around the room, straightens the chairs, and picks up a dropped crayon. He/she smiles and turns off the lights. Room 228 is dark and quiet. It will be ready next time.
Jesus said; “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
Prayer thought: Thank you Lord for blessing us with children and adults who are willing to teach them.
By Joe Widick
Maybe you have walked through the mall and seen the brightly lighted gumball machines. You put a quarter in and the gumball drops and rolls around and around down one tunnel and over another. Finally the gumball comes to the end and you can pick it up and pop it into your mouth. As a kid, I never got to experience such an elaborate machine to get a gumball. All we had was a little machine that you would put a penny in turn a handle and either get a small gumball or a trinket. At home I still have my collection of trinkets that came from the penny gumball machine. There was one similarity between the two machines; without the quarter for the fancy gumball machine or the penny for the little trinket, the items remained locked up inside.
Let’s let prayer be the quarter (if you are old like me a penny), in your pocket. When it comes to releasing the vast resources of God’s character and blessings in your life you need prayer. The way God is able to bless us is in sharp contrast to the leanness of our souls. Without prayer we cannot begin to tap into the vast reservoir of all that He is waiting to bestow on us. When we long for a satisfying taste of His resources, prayer is essential.
James makes it perfectly clear that our prayers need to be “fervent” and “effective” (James 5:16). God is not into ritual but reality. He wants us to avoid formulaic prayers in exchange for a persistent passion. We are to approach His throne of grace with a keen awareness of our need for Him.
The next time you or I walk by a gumball machine maybe we can think of that quarter in our pocket as being prayer, our way to get to the rich blessings that Christ has to offer to us. One poet said it this way:
The more we go to God in prayer
Intent to seek His face
The more we’ll be with Him
Before His throne of grace
We have a very special opportunity starting this evening to join together in prayer. A prayer ministry is beginning and Wynne Baker has agreed to lead this effort. Those who want to be a part of this new effort will be meeting in room 216 at 5:00 pm today. The elders encourage you to come and be a part of this new ministry as we move forward and continue to discover the rich blessings that God has in store for each of us. Remember—Much prayer, much power; little prayer, little power; no prayer, no power! What do you want?
By Joe Widick
If one is not careful, prayer meetings can get you down. No matter how much you look forward to gathering with friends, brothers and sisters in Christ, to pray, the requests can sometimes be disheartening. A missionary is having health problems, a child has cancer. A beloved family in the congregation is struggling with marital issues; no one seems to volunteer for this project or that project. To add to these and many other concerns, you have your own personal challenges. The more request you hear, the more weary you grow. Out of this cloud of hurt, anguish, concern one or more rise and pray. They pray with absolute confidence. They thank God for his absolute control over all things. Their plea is for God to work in the lives of those for whom prayer is requested. With honesty they acknowledge that we don’t always understand what God is doing. Like the psalmist they turn a time of complaining over man’s problems into a time of praising God for His listening ear. Slowly but surely prayer turns to praise because there are those who believe that the Lord hears “the prayer of the destitute, and shall not despise their prayer” (Psalm 102:17).
Isn’t it interesting to think that the “miracle of prayer” continues today? Have you ever thought about all the millions of people around the world who are offering up their prayers to God, while you and I also pray? It is indeed a miracle that God can hear so many of His children simultaneously. Remember the story of Hezekiah’s Passover celebration. He called for the Israelites to join him in Jerusalem for praise and prayer (II Chronicles 30:1). Multitudes came for what turned into a two-week long worship service. Huge numbers of people rejoiced and praised God at the same time. As the religious leaders prayed, “their voice was heard; and their prayer came up…to heaven” (II Chronicles 30:27). This same miracle goes on today throughout the world.
At Maple Hill, we have a reputation in our community as being a congregation that prays. The men who publicly lead us weekly pray from the heart. Our members are faithful in taking their concerns and cares to God daily. NOW, we have one more opportunity to unite our prayers together as we petition God for help and praise him for blessing us richly. Wynne Baker has agreed to lead a prayer session each Lord’s Day evening starting at 5:00 pm in room 216. As we start this new effort on June 17, the elders encourage as many as possible to come and participate in this vital work.
Prayer Thought: That many members will want to be a part of this new effort. Also bless Wynne Baker as he leads us in this work.
By Joe Widick
One night long ago, a woman had one of those dreams that seemed so real you just didn’t want it to end. In her dream she was having a conversation with God. As the conversation continued, the woman became angry with God. Why do you allow all the suffering and evil that is going on in this world to continue? Why don’t You do something about it? In the dream, God never gets angry or raises his voice. He gently responds to the woman by saying; “I did. I created you.”
As we look around the world at all that is going on, we sometimes shake our heads in disgust and ask where it is all going to end. We know and understand that we serve an all powerful God. And because of that knowledge, we might think he could send another flood as He did in Noah’s day, to cleanse away the wickedness of the world. He could do that, but He won’t. He has promised never to do that again (Genesis 9:11). Instead, He chooses to work through human beings like you and me.
When one looks through the Bible at the different characters who come alive on the pages of scripture, we realize that God was doing something about the condition of mankind, he made the Peters, James and Johns of this world, and they responded by making a difference. He changed Paul from a persecutor of the church to “His witness to all men” (Acts 22:15). Paul’s life and letters taught, inspired and comforted the church in its early days. Those same truths are still around, offering comfort and inspiration to those who will heed the teachings of the great apostle. I have to realize that it was God who changed Paul and then He used him to change the world around him. The question always comes back to me and you. Have we been transformed by the power of Jesus Christ? If the answer is yes, there is a second question. Are we now obediently serving Him to change the lives of the people around us? Have we been changed to bring change or do we find ourselves like the woman who dreamed of a conversation with God, complaining about why God will not do something about the tragic way our world seems to be headed.
Maybe the thought we really need to consider is, have I really been changed? Only when we are changed can we help others to change.
Prayer Thought: Be with Nick and Amanda McNabb as they make the transition from Centerville to Lebanon.
