The Sweet Savor

by   November 3, 2019 with No Comments

By Ann Farabee

Need time to pray? Take it.

Go to that place.

It is the place where you pray – by yourself.

It is the place where you pray – with your family.

It is the place where you pray – with your church congregation.

It is the place where you pray – with anyone who wants to pray.

It is our altar.

Leviticus 7:29-30 teaches that we are to bring our offerings personally to the Lord – no matter where we are – and to not just rely on others to pray for us. We need to personally pray.

In Biblical times, there were some directions for building altars. They were built in a raised place, by the hands of the people, with broken rocks, and dirt from the earth. No tools were used.

Ezra 3 tells of the Jews setting up an altar showing their commitment to stay close to God – because they knew staying close to God mattered. They learned to obey God from the heart – not from habit. Their altar continually burned.

Leviticus 6:13 says, “The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out.” That is the fire of the Holy Spirit that lives in us. God started the fire – we did not.

The altar is the center of worship, a place of covenant, a place of prayer, and a place of personal encounter with God. The altar would stay in place for years – as a reminder of God’s protection and God’s promises.

At our personal altar, we surrender. We die to ourselves. We cry out to God. We bring our sins, our brokenness, our sickness, our fears, our needs, and our hopes. It is a place of breakthrough.

Where is our altar?

*In our heart – our central and innermost part of our being – where the Holy Spirit resides. Our heart is where God and man meet.

*In our home – and is built by the work of our own hands, guided by the Heavenly Father. Within the altar of our home lies our heritage.

*In our house of worship – which is defined as a place where a congregation gathers for prayer – at an altar.

We look up to the Lord – His ways are higher than ours. We come empty-handed. We build our altars with our own hands. We only have pieces of broken rocks and dirt of the earth. We have no tools. We have nothing to offer.

But we surrender to the Lord, because we know. He is the Alpha and Omega. He is the beginning and the end – Who is – and was – and is to come.

We surrender to the Lord, because of the truth we know in our hearts – the flame shall forever be burning on the altar – it will never go out.

Genesis 8:20 – Noah built an altar unto the Lord.

Genesis 8:21 – And the Lord smelled a sweet savor.

Let’s build our altar.

And…may it be a sweet savor to our Savior.

Ann is a speaker and teacher. Contact her at annfarabee@gmail.com or annfarabee.com

Rock Star

by   November 2, 2019 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

            Since I retired in June I had not ventured back to East Davidson. Well, I couldn’t stay away any longer. I wanted to see my former colleagues and the students. I also wanted to see my old classroom. I was warmly greeted by everyone. It was definitely a deja vu experience.

My old classroom is being used for students who are working independently on computers. It was not set up the way I had it for most of the time I was there. There were no eagle pictures on the walls. It was a very odd feeling to step inside my former classroom.

It was so good to see my former colleagues. I was glad to hear what was happening in their lives and how things were going for them this year. Everyone wanted to know how retirement was going. “AWESOME,” was the answer they got back. I told them that I highly recommend it.

What I was not prepared for was the “rock star” status I felt from the students. Students were calling out to me from everywhere. I got hugs and handshakes galore. I had to laugh when a few students asked if they could now call me by first name. I let them know that they were still students and that “Mr. Creamer” was the proper way to address me.

            It was college application day while I was there. That gave me the opportunity to ask students about their plans beyond high school. I also got the chance to encourage them in their career choices. It was exciting to talk with the students about their future plans. I was so excited to hear from one of my students who decided that she is going to study marketing in college. I am so proud of her and excited to follow up with her as she pursues her dream.

            It was a fun day getting the chance to spend the day with people I care so much about. I miss being around my colleagues and having the opportunity to talk on a daily basis. Public school teachers make a difference. Most teachers pour their lives into the students, hoping to encourage and influence them to make good choices that will lead to a fulfilling life.

            When I think about the many different careers the students were considering, it makes me realize that God needs good Christian men and women in every career field. As a former teacher, I hope I lived my faith in the classroom. I know I wasn’t perfect, but I hope I demonstrated Godly values to them.

            When it comes to career choices God needs people to represent Him in every career area. I hope that doctors and nurses pray every day before working with their patients. I hope a firefighter and policeman turn to God before heading out the door. Imagine the difference an EMS worker could make if they offered prayers for the people they transport to the hospital.

            We have all called repair people to our homes. Wouldn’t you like to have a godly person enter your home and do their work with integrity? We have all taken our cars to repair shops. Wouldn’t it be great if the mechanics were in love with Jesus and were playing Christian music on their radios?

            My point is that we need to encourage our children to follow career paths that interest them. We all have to work, wouldn’t it be great if we loved what we do? Just because we profess faith in Jesus, it doesn’t limit our career choices to the ministry. God wants every person to be reached with the Good News. He will use us wherever we are if we will make ourselves available to Him. As we excel in our career fields, we have the opportunity to give God the glory because we know He is working through us.

            If you are in the process of choosing a career, I want to encourage you to find something you love and be the best you can at that job. If you are raising children, I want to encourage you to help them choose fields they will enjoy and where they can have a positive impact on their colleagues. If you are currently working, I want to encourage you to remember that people are watching you. They want to see if God really makes a difference in your life. God’s wants us to be light and hope, especially to those who live in darkness. I believe God wants us to give faith, hope, and love away. Look around, I imagine someone needs to hear from you today.

Contact Doug Creamer at PO Box 777, Faith, NC 28041or doug@dougcreamer.com

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