Faith

Dealing with disappointment

PASTOR’S CORNER, Bailey Norris, New Beginnings Church, Liberal

A few weeks ago, I was headed to the movies with friends. I’d admittedly put off buying my ticket even though I knew the movie would be sold out. In the midst of my rush to buy a ticket. I’d accidentally bought a the wrong one. The movie, I was headed to see instead was on my list but alone. The disappointment set in and jaded my experience of the movie I did see.

How often do our disappointments and past experiences of life mark our expectations of of God? When we look at scripture, we see Gods faithfulness time and time again but we also see people handling the expectations of then what they expect God to do.

God omniscient

PASTOR’S CORNER, Pat Mann, Chaplain, Liberal Good Samaritan Center, Liberal

Perhaps you sometimes have thoughts, feelings, secret opinions, perhaps even dark things hidden away in the deepest part of your being that you are not comfortable sharing with ANYONE, but you wish you could share those deep things with someone you can truly trust. Good news! There is someone with whom you can share even things that lie securely hidden from everyone. The God Who created you is omniscient – He knows EVERYTHING about you, even things you do not know about yourself.

Opportunities

PASTOR’S CORNER, Pat Mann, Chaplain, Liberal Good Samaritan Center, Liberal

Galatians 6:10 KJV – “ As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.”

Perhaps you have had times when a great opportunity just “fell in your lap,” so to speak. The door swings open, inviting you to take advantage of what is before you. Could be a financial opportunity, a proposal of marriage, a chance for a better life, or an opportunity to be a good Samaritan, giving a helping hand to make someone else’s life better. Some occupations are like that, just teeming with opportunities to serve one’s fellow man.

Go to the altar

PASTOR’S CORNER, Pat Mann, Chaplain, Liberal Good Samaritan Center, Liberal

Malachi 3:7 (King James Version) – “Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts.”

There are occasions when a believer’s zeal for God does not shine as brightly as it once did. A mother of a young boy once told me that when her son returned from a week’s Christian summer camp, having become a believer in Jesus at that time, he was highly inspired and interested in all things spiritual. As time passed, and having returned to normal day-to-day life, his light slowly began to grow dimmer, and his zeal for God waned.

Free indeed!

PASTOR’S CORNER, Pat Mann, Chaplain, Liberal Good Samaritan Center, Liberal

JOHN 8: 31-32, 36 KJV: 31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. 36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

There are many ways that people may be held in bondage. A person does not have to be locked in a prison or jail to experience bondage. Some are in bondage of bad relationships. Others are in financial bondage. Others are not free due to physical handicaps. There are countries today whose citizens are enslaved. Still others are indeed locked behind prison and jail walls due to their own lawlessness.