Just heard Dr. George Wood preach an amazing message on legacy at the AG General Council. I've never heard a message on Leah. It blessed me and challenged me. The main point? You can't measure influence by its earthly time span. You need time and distance. Only eternity will tell. Leah had a tough life, but what a legacy she left in the form of a lineage that led all the way to Jesus.
There was an altar call at the end of the service and I went forward for a couple reasons.
1) I went forward because I need all the prayer I can get. For what it's worth, I looked for the pastor with the grayest hair to pray for me. I wanted someone who's talked to God for a long time.
2) I went forward because I want to keep humbling myself before the Lord. I saw this modeled in my father-in-law, Bob Schmidgall. He was so revered and so used by God, in part, because he never missed an opportunity to kneel before the Lord. If you stay humble there is nothing God can't do in you and through you.
3) I went forward because I'm so grateful for what God has done. I feel like General Council is a dream benchmark. My first Council was 1989. I was a teenager. And God began birthing a dream in my spirit. In the last few years, a lot of dreams have become reality.
Long story short, I'm going to keep going to the altar until the day I die.
I don't know what church tradition you come out of, but I grew up in a church that called people to the altar. I know there is nothing magical about an altar. And like anything else, it can become an empty ritual or spiritual game. But there are moments in life where you just need to go to an altar to get right with the Lord or seek the Lord or humble yourself before the Lord.
By the way, I asked Parker if he wanted to go with me to the altar. He did. And it blessed me big-time. Nothing is more important than teaching our kids to seek the Lord. And sometimes you need to simply extend an invitation.
There was an altar call at the end of the service and I went forward for a couple reasons.
1) I went forward because I need all the prayer I can get. For what it's worth, I looked for the pastor with the grayest hair to pray for me. I wanted someone who's talked to God for a long time.
2) I went forward because I want to keep humbling myself before the Lord. I saw this modeled in my father-in-law, Bob Schmidgall. He was so revered and so used by God, in part, because he never missed an opportunity to kneel before the Lord. If you stay humble there is nothing God can't do in you and through you.
3) I went forward because I'm so grateful for what God has done. I feel like General Council is a dream benchmark. My first Council was 1989. I was a teenager. And God began birthing a dream in my spirit. In the last few years, a lot of dreams have become reality.
Long story short, I'm going to keep going to the altar until the day I die.
I don't know what church tradition you come out of, but I grew up in a church that called people to the altar. I know there is nothing magical about an altar. And like anything else, it can become an empty ritual or spiritual game. But there are moments in life where you just need to go to an altar to get right with the Lord or seek the Lord or humble yourself before the Lord.
By the way, I asked Parker if he wanted to go with me to the altar. He did. And it blessed me big-time. Nothing is more important than teaching our kids to seek the Lord. And sometimes you need to simply extend an invitation.
10 Comments:
Thank you for the post! I really enjoy your blog, and your books.
Amen, amen, amen and amen, on all the points. Thank you for your inner "process."
wow absolutely love this and your perspective and the altar!!!! I feel the exact same way and was convicted about going not too long ago when i heard a lady in a wheelchair behind me say, "she wished she could go!" that was plenty of fuel for me to down on my knees at the altar!
I too was blessed by the message last night! You are so right that we need to keep going to the altars. As you said it keeps us humble!
Working in SGF, wish I was at #gencouncil. I grew up familiar w/ an altar & can say I miss those times in our "modern churches". Thanks for the post.
i agree, also see the prayer videos, who what when where why and how is good for inspiration. i am so disappointed about general council. i had just read matthews gospel about wine and gall "don't be offended" the guy says, then vinegar - which is made from rotted apples - and apples are in begining of genesis, so that's what the holy spirit showed me, he said look deeper into these two things as i read ( parables are infinant deep)then i was prepared to see it 2 days later. god bless
so in conclusion i could say its an anti-christ video (?) but then i think of the inspiration of prayer and yes alter
Amen preach it Brother!
wow thanks for this post, brings back tons of memories.
Mark, I was at the same altar that night. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. As I write this I am in the waiting room at UC Davis Medical Center. My (21)old daughter is having breast surgery. It is SOOOOOOO comforting to know that the God of the altar is the same God in the waiting room. It was good seeing you at the Leadership conference too.
Brian
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