"Where Love Reigns!"
Redeemed Church © 2013 | Privacy Policy
From Pastor Sheli's Weekly 'Prayer & Praise' email
Thanks for stopping by! Come back anytime!
Weekly Announcements
THANK YOU RC For giving to: Shoebox Blessing (50 Boxes!) & F.I.S.H. Food Drive (638 LBS Of Food!)
Dec. 15...Christmas Program & Cookie Contest
Dec. 22...Candlelight Communion Service
SOCIAL- Instagram & YouTube @ Redeemed Church Vancouver WA
Good Afternoon Church Family! God is able and faithful! There have been so many amazing things that God has been doing lately in our family... miraculous breakthroughs!! We have been talking at church about the "Joy of Receiving and Giving". The past two weeks we have focused on the Joy of Receiving and why it is important to be able to receive so that you are in a place to give. We love to be able to give and bless others but if you don't first receive you won't be able to give. Last week our verse was "Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete." John 16:24 When we ask in faith and receive, Jesus was telling us that our joy will be complete! We often think that there is such joy in giving and there is BUT there is also joy in receiving!! I think that there is a misunderstanding about receiving, almost as if it's bad to receive because that makes you greedy. Nothing could be farther from the truth! Jesus told us that we need to become like "little children" and we are called the "children of God" throughout the Bible! When we put these two thoughts together, receiving and being like little children, we get a picture of how we are to receive! Close your eyes and picture a child receiving a gift. Do they ever tell the person giving the gift, "I'm sorry, I can't receive this because I am not worthy"? No way! They reach out their arms to the fullest extent and receive the gift with joy!! Their faces light up and they can't help but giggle or laugh! I remember countless Christmases with my foster brothers and sisters. These are some of my favorite memories!! We would all go to my grandma's to celebrate with her and then my brother and I would sneak away early to go home and set out all the presents. Oh my goodness!!! The joy that the kids would have on their faces literally brought you to tears at times. They would each find a place in the livingroom and we would pass out their gifts. They would reach out to take them and there were always countless thank you's as they received. Then the room would burst into excitement as presents were opened and they found out what was in each gift! My parents, myself and my brother, would stand back and watch as they opened their gifts with joy. The room filled with shouts as things they had wanted were being discovered under wrapping paper. I have very vivid mental pictures of these Christmases and not one of them has a child being sad or refusing the gift or not feeling worthy. On the contrary, I remember several expressing how loved they felt and then there were the hugs that were tighter and longer than normal expressing their gratefulness for the gifts they had received.
Sometimes as adults we forget how to receive with joy and yet this is exactly how Jesus wants us to receive. He knows that when we come to Him as little children (not childish but child-like) we will be able to receive from Him! You and I are God's children. He is our heavenly Father and when we receive gifts like my foster siblings, with joy and gratefulness, it blesses His heart! There is joy in giving as well but if the person receiving doesn't respond or show appreciation or even declines, the joy in giving is affected. This is why it is so important for us to be joyful and to show that joy when we receive! Christmas is just around the corner and we should receive from people with joy! But Christmas is only one day in the year and then its over. With your heavenly Father, His gifts come all year around! He isn't limited by dates or holidays, aren't you so glad?!! And when He gives, it isn't just a one time thing. His blessings will come upon us and overtake us!! (Deuteronomy 28:2) If we as earthly parents love to give our kids gifts, how much more our heavenly Father? The key is remembering that you are a child of God, not an adult of God. We should be ready to receive all the blessings He has for us with joy and thanksgiving!! AND, you know what's so amazing? Often times the blessing He gives us releases us to be able to bless someone else!!! Our youngest son Luke, has been saving for his first vehicle. He has been driving the family car that was given to Layci almost 9 years ago. He had finally saved up a good amount and he has been looking. His hearts desire was a truck... a red, Dodge Ram truck! I had gone to our mechanic for a problem with our van and while I was there he and I started talking about Luke. I was asking him to keep his eyes open for a possible new vehicle. Then he asked me, "What kind of vehicle does Luke want?" I smiled and told him he really wanted a truck but that I thought he'd have to save a little longer. Our mechanic smiled back and said, "I have a truck right there." I turned around and there sitting in his driveway was a lifted 2001 RED DODGE RAM 1500 truck!! I had seen it when I first drove up and my instant thought was, "Now that's a Luke truck." I know because he has pointed out so many of them when we are driving over the past 3 years!! I asked the price and he told me he'd give it to Luke for his cost... that's right!!! And his cost was the exact amount Luke had saved!!! I am so moved right now at the faithfulness of God!! You better believe that when the Lord presented Luke with this gift that he received it with joy!!! Lots and lots of joy and lots and lots of thanksgiving!!! He has been sharing his story with everyone he knows, declaring the goodness of God!
You know the awesome thing about this story? Luke's heavenly Father is YOUR heavenly Father too! He has gifts for each of us that He wants to bless us with. Our job is to be ready to receive with joy!! We need to practice being child-like and saying, "Thank you heavenly Father for my gifts!" We need to break out of the adult mode of thinking we aren't worthy or good enough for His gifts. We need to see His gifts through the eyes of a child and be excited in advance for what could possibly be coming for us next!!! Then when you receive, be ready to shout with joy and shower Him with your thanks! Luke's story isn't over and next week I will share with you the joy of giving because you have received!! God wants to bless us so that we can be like Him!! Blessed to be a blessing! God has gifts for each of us and Jesus told us to ask in His name and then to receive those gifts so that our joy may be full but also so He can be filled with joy watching you receive! There is joy in receiving and giving and each has a time and place in your life. So, throw open your arms and be ready for all the wonderful gifts your Heavenly Father wants to pour out in your life and then be ready to give to bless others too!! Have a blessed rest of your week, Church Family and let's be joyful receivers!! Blessings, Pastors Sheli and Steve
'What's Up' at Your RC??