A Hunger to Know God More
by TIFFINI KILGORE
“He touched my mouth … and said, ‘Look. … Gone your guilt, Your sins wiped out.’ And then I heard the voice of the Master: ‘Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?’ I spoke up, ‘I’ll go. Send me!’” Isaiah 6:7b, 8 (MSG)
I’ve spent all my life hungry.
But now there’s a different hunger to take in the Word of God.
This is how I remember it beginning …
I notice it when a new youth pastor preaches from the old book, and then more as I go through a Bible study and find these words coming alive, breadcrumbs leading someplace bright.
I find I want more. I find spending time with His words leads me to God Himself. The words are more than words, though. Slowly, His words bleed into my heart, then out from my heart, into my everyday, ordinary life.
I begin — not even consciously — hungering for things I never did before. Without trying.
Instead of waking up to get the kids and me ready, do housework or start dinner, I want to learn what God is like. Who He is. I want to talk to Him, and I want Him to talk to me. So I make time for that by getting up before everyone else.
New life intersects for me in this small rural town, where God’s words find me, and I awake to them. It’s like coming out of anesthesia, rising after a long sleep.
It doesn’t take long to sense my taste buds changing. I don’t want the comforts I wanted before; now I crave those words that fill me in a way I’d not known was possible.
My thought patterns begin to change as well. I rearrange my life to position my cold heart next to God’s campfire. I suddenly see habits I knew God was gently calling me away from. Slowly, He begins melting my heart, changing me from the inside out. It isn’t anything drastic all at one time. Rather, it’s slow interior work, invisible work.
We all want outward, immediate change. But this is gradual work on the inside, sacred work. I can feel it taking root, and soon others start to see it, too.
The pastor asks me to help teach a single women’s Sunday School class. I begin to harbor a love of studying the Bible and sparking this love in others.
I love seeing women’s eyes light up when God shows them something they hadn’t seen before. I love letting them know how much He loves them. They’re all kinds of single women. Divorced, mostly. Some have little children, some have grown children, and one is a war veteran who lives her life in a wheelchair. All of us are hungry for holy words.
When I read, eat and act on words from the Bible, they go down deep into my insides, penetrating my surface superficiality, my negative narratives, all the way down to the deepest dark, secret places.
Reading the Bible, the words burn deep inside me. They alleviate the ache. When I read the Bible and talk to God, I don’t want to play it safe. Something in me wants to come out and do something brave, and it scares me.
Sitting in my usual row at church, I feel like I’m pulling up a chair to the best meal I’ve ever had. Pastor Jedidiah, our youth pastor, opens Isaiah 6 and simply reads word for word:
“He touched my mouth … and said, ‘Look. … Gone your guilt, Your sins wiped out.’ And then I heard the voice of the Master: ‘Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?’ I spoke up, ‘I’ll go. Send me!’” (verse 7b, 8)
The words begin connecting dots in my heart. Papa God is writing my story! But it’s bigger than me. I see it is for others, too. I haven’t been on my own! He’s found me! He picks me up and carries me to His table. I don’t have to do anything but let Him. He is more than a spectator.
“Who will go for me?” Jedidiah reads, and my hand shoots up.
“Yes, send me!” I feel exposed, but for the first time, I don’t hurt.
When I leave church, I know I have heard God’s voice deep in the center of me. He fought for me there. He set a table for me there. He fed me there.
It is a safe place.
Papa God, I’m thankful there’s more to life with You than a simple sinner’s prayer or walking down an aisle. Let Your Word be my map, leading me to Your heart. Remake me into Your beautiful daughter. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Monday's Devotional Sponsor:
Come To JESUS...
What does it mean to “Come to Jesus”? It means agreeing with what the Bible says about Jesus.
Take a look:
What Coming to Jesus is Not
• It is not about repeating a sinner’s prayer
• It is not about walking down an aisle
• It is not about filling out a Decision Card
What Coming to Jesus Is
• Repenting of your sins and turning the other way toward God
• Confessing your sins and seeing your sinfulness and realizing your desperate need for the Savior
• Believing that Jesus is your personal Savior
• Believing with your heart and not just your head
• Relying on, fully trusting in, leaning upon, and resting in — Him
• Believing that He is your Savior first and allowing the Holy Spirit to help you make Him your Lord too
• Believing that there is no other way to the Father in Heaven except by Jesus Christ alone
If you believe in the Bible, you can believe this:
Jesus was with God before the earth existed, left His glory with the Father and was born of a virgin, lived a perfect, sinless life, died on Calvary for your redemption, and was raised again after three days. Today He is in heaven and His sacrifice has provided a way for you to come to a saving faith. Being saved is fully a work of God. No one is saved by works. No one is saved by their own efforts. It is by grace alone, in faith alone, by Jesus alone. It is a gift of God (Eph 2:8-9). We pray that you will come to believe in Jesus Christ, be born-again, and be saved today.
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Acts 4:12 “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
Acts 16:30-31 “what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”
Romans 10:9-10 “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”
Come to Jesus and Live!
June 22, 2019:
The Anointing Word Ministry will be remembering our beloved mother the late, Sis. Annie Lee Magee on Saturday, June 22, 2019 at 12 noon at St Paul AME Church, 420 Church Street, Bogalusa, LA. The Anointed Word aim is to give service that will bring glory and
continued honor to Jesus Christ ,our Lord and Savior.. We focus on reaching out to believers and placing a continued hope in the lives of all believers. Rev. Michael Oree will bring the message and his choir will lead us in praise songs lifting up the name of Jesus. We are expecting a blessing! Come witness the power of God and give God the glory ! May God continue to endow you is our prayer.
June, July &/or August:
All Area Churches are Invited to place their Up-Coming Events, Revival, Camp Meeting, Bible Book Study, Vacation Bible School, Home Coming, Fifth Saturday/Sunday Event, etc... Any event except regular
church hours...
You write what you want to say, please include church address for those that may not know your exact location and send it to the editor...
Email to StarEditor70427@yahoo.com or
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DAILY SMILE:
Big Fish, Little Fish
Submitted by HENNE
A fisherman returned to shore with a giant marlin that was bigger and heavier than he. On the way to the cleaning shed, he ran into a second fisherman who had a stringer with a dozen baby minnows.
The second fisherman looked at the marlin, turned to the first fisherman and said, "Only caught one, eh?"
Chicken Enchilada Spaghetti Squash
from https://www.midgetmomma.com
This Chicken Enchilada Spaghetti Squash is an amazing chicken spaghetti squash recipe. Perfect for if you are wanting chicken enchiladas without all the carbs from tortillas. This Mexican spaghetti squash recipe can be made as a main course item or as a side dish.
Prep Time - 10 Minutes
Cooking Time - 50 Minutes
Total Time - 60 Minutes
Makes 4 Servings
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Ingredients
- 2 small spaghetti squash
- 2 chicken breast
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 small onion diced
- 1 clove garlic grated
- 1 teaspoon cumin toasted and ground
- 1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 chipotle chili in adobo
- 1 teaspoon fresh oregano chopped
- 1 4 ounce can diced green chilies
- 1/2 cup corn (omit corn to make it KETO Friendly)
- 1/4 cup cilantro chopped
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut squash in half and scoop out the seeds with a spoon.
- Lay skin side down on a rimmed sheet pan, lined with aluminum foil. Cut your chicken in half so you have for pieces of chicken.
- Place the chicken on the sheet pan, season with salt and pepper. Bake for 45 mins or until cooked to a touch with a fork.
- While the chicken and squash is cooking you can put together the sauce.
- In a medium sauce pan saute the onion and garlic in the oil until translucent. Add in the cumin and cook for an extra minute. Place that mixture into a blender with the tomatoes, chili, oregano, salt and pepper.
- Blend the mixture until smooth. Pour it back into the sauce pan and simmer of low heat while the squash finishes cooking.
- When the chicken reaches 160 degrees take it out and with two forks shred the chicken up.
- Scrape the flesh of the squash with a fork to create noodles.
- Combine all the ingredients besides the cheese in a large bowl.
- Return the mixture to the empty shells and top with the cheese.
- Place under the broiler until golden brown.
Notes:
If you are wanting this to be keto friendly, omit the corn.
Nutrition w/corn:
Calories: 284kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 17g | Fiber: 1g
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