By Elizabeth Prata
We had a marvelous church service this afternoon. We meet at 3:00 to 4:30, talk a while after, then head to small groups at various locations. We have 4 elders. The main teaching elder is Mark, and the other three men rotate doing a confessional/devotional before the sermon. Our order of service goes like this:
Opening prayer by Mark
Two hymns, stand, all sing
Confessional, where one of the elders speaks briefly, asks us questions, to which we respond in our pews silently by confessing our sins before God and praying. This helps prepare our hearts to hear the word.
Song. We remain sitting and can either sing along with the musicians on stage or continue praying/confessing silently.
Sermon.
Two more hymns.
Prayer and dismissal
Anyway we are going through the book of John and we’re all loving it. Afterward I was headed home and one of those summer rain showers came along. The pavement was dry and then sprinkles dotted the windshield then rain-soaker with wipers on high then dry again. Repeat. Ahead I saw the largest rainbow arcing across the road starting at the ground and making a bow from left to right. It stayed for the longest time. I thought of the verses in Genesis 9:12-16-
And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:
13 I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.
14 And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud:
15 And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.
16 And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.
As I approached the next rainshower I noticed that the colors on the left side of the rainbow, the side closest to me, could be ween slicing down among the trees, and even to the ground! I have never see the spot where the rainbow touches down, but tonight I did. I looked and looked and then since the road curved, soon I drove right through it.
It felt cool to be driving physically <i>through</i> the colors of the rainbow. I enjoyed pondering God in His work of Creator, and His work of mercy in sending His Son in order to spare us His wrath, and His work of faithfulness to His promises. The LORD is magnificent and good.
Let the Redeemed of the LORD Say So
1Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever!
2Let the redeemed of the LORD say so,
whom he has redeemed from troublea
3and gathered in from the lands,
from the east and from the west,
from the north and from the south.
4Some wandered in desert wastes,
finding no way to a city to dwell in;
5hungry and thirsty,
their soul fainted within them.
6Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
7He led them by a straight way
till they reached a city to dwell in.
8Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love,
for his wondrous works to the children of man!
9For he satisfies the longing soul,
and the hungry soul he fills with good things.
Psalm 107:1-9
the-end-time.org 