members informing them of the intent of the church. This was to be fair warning to all who hadn’t been actively attending with the understand that all church members would begin attending again. And with not surprise to me and some of the other church members this "GOOD IDEA" backfired. Those who received the notice from the church were deeply hurt and offended, and instead of pulling them back into the church it proved to drive them farther away. This was about 9 years ago and to my knowledge none of the people who were removed from the church role have ever attended church since. And the little thriving country church I was a member of went down hill fast from there with nothing but hard times since. Was it God’s will for all the members to be active in church? Sure. But the most important thing for the church is for those who are active to be focused on their personal relationships with God first. If that’s not right then nothing is going to be right, and no one will be able to force the work of the Holy Spirit. Instead of working to glorify God we were working to judge and condemn our church family.

When we pray and pray and all we get is silence our feelings can be the most misleading thing of all. Our natural inclination in these times is to think that something is wrong, when according to God’s plan it may not be the right time for Him to accomplish His purpose. If Abraham and Sarah would have had children in their youth then they would have missed the miraculous, but by the promise being fulfilled in when they are past the age of child bearing, they will know it’s by God’s power alone.


2. IF YOU DON’T BELIEVE (OR CAN’T WAIT FOR) THE PROMISE, YOU COULD END UP IN THE PRISON.

Gen 16:3-5
3So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian maidservant Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. 4He slept with Hagar, and she conceived. When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress. 5Then Sarai said to Abram, "You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my servant in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the LORD judge between you and me."

This is where they move from the PROMISE to the PRISON. Sarah’s "GOOD IDEA" backfires when Hagar conceives. After Hagar becomes pregnant with Abraham’s child friction begins to build between her and Sarah. In her anger Sarah lashes out at Abraham blaming him for the mess they are in. Who’s "GOOD IDEA" was it for Abraham and Hagar to get together? It’s easy when things don’t work out the way we think they should to blame other people. This removes the responsibility from off our back and places it on to someone else. Blaming others for bad situations seems to be a favorite pass time for some in the church to the point that angry members are guilty of running off other members. This should never happen in the family of God. How did Jesus say that the world would know that we were His disciples? "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another (John 13:35)."


Abraham turns the blame right around on to Sarah.
Gen 16:6
6"Your servant is in your hands," Abram said. "Do with her whatever you think best." Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her.

This once happy marriage has now turned into one full of anger, disappointment,