Who knew? 6-29-15

Who knew? In the Word

The Lord will work out his plans for my life—
    for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever.
    Don’t abandon me, for you made me. Psalm 138:8

I believe that things happen in life for a reason, for the most part. At any given time you can look back and see things that happened and know that the road to Jesus was put there before you. Sure sometimes it takes longer than it could have but some things are just meant to be.

Take this week for instance. We ran a vacation bible day camp this past week; we being a group of about 18-20 volunteers.  Back in the middle of winter we were gathering people to help out in different areas that were needed; teachers, cooks, game runners, etc. Many signed up but not all could remain on the list for various reasons. For some life got in the way, others jobs, summer classes, or other such very important things kept them from showing up to follow the call. I know that I prayed prior to compiling and committing to put on the week long event and I believed that God was in control. Still I have to admit that I was doubtful when just days before the event I came up short.

Suddenly God brought me more help! I was amazed. Yes I was amazed and at peace knowing once again that God had things in control; things began so beautifully! Sign in people checked the kids in and sent them to the place with leaders to retrieve them and so on. Crafts were done, games were played memory verses were sent out… we can do this! Was the theme; but then stuff happened and some of the fantastic crew had to drop a day or two mid week. I thought I had it covered but when another one showed up, and a small problem occurred I was stressed beyond my ability; then God stepped up and said, “Did you forget I was in control?”

God will do this, for he is faithful to do what he says, and he has invited you into partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 Corinthians 1:9

Yes. Yes I did! I can’t do this! But God can!

He showed me several times during the week that He is in control every step of the way.

Do you ever have those moments that you stop and wonder what in the world you will do with a problem that has arrived smack dab in the middle of your plans?

I have one thing to say for this kind of situation, and hopefully I finally get it this time; God’s got your back!

If God is for you, me, us… and He is; then who can stand against us?

Nothing, no one, no body can stand against God and His plans. If I do not step up to the challenge then who will?  God will prevail, He will bring someone else up to the challenge, I will miss the blessings, the joy, the moving forward that would have happened in my life if I did not step up.

The same goes for you; step up to the challenge and accept your call no matter how short lived or long it may be. Do not think you are not able to achieve what He has given you to do because He will provide the ‘everything’ we need when He puts us to a call.

   For the word of God will never fail. Luke 1:37

Anyone who is destined for prison will be taken to prison. Anyone destined to die by the sword will die by the sword. This means that God’s holy people must endure persecution patiently and remain faithful. Revelation:13:10

 

When we remember that God is with us, nothing will be able to stand and pull us back from His will; but we have to remember to walk in it.

Make the choice, choose you this day, do the right thing and walk with Christ, not against Him.

Remember that God chose you to do the task you are about to step out and do, and remember that He is with us not against us and we will prevail.  There are many wise men and women of the Word who had to realize that God was for them and so things would go according to His plans. Gideon, the mighty man of valor, who was found in the threshing floor. Working a hard job until God showed him what to do and walked in it. Paul found Jesus, literally found Him on the way to Damascus. Esther saved a nation, Ruth kept a bloodline straight. Why did all these things happen? They happened because God had, has a plan. He will move mountains today but we have to listen to the plan and walk in it.

Who knew? Who knew that God was going to walk in VBS this year and provide for more than enough help, food, and well everything? God knew that’s who!

Dear Heavenly Father, help us to do your will and to walk in your path. In Jesus name, amen. 

Do you have a Spine? In His Word 6-23-15

I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom. Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. 2 Timothy 4:1-5

Many people do not hear what we refer to as ‘the call of God ’to preach the Gospel.’ I believe if they have not received at least this portion to do the work of an evangelist they must have not studied the Word of God in the book of Timothy at all because we are ‘charged before God’ here to do just that!  It Is not hard to share the word with someone else, to stand on the Word of God as your guide and your spine for tough times, but what about when you have it easy? What do you do when things are going smooth and no problems arise in your life? Do you share what God has done for you in the good times and the bad?

Do you point the way to Jesus? That is what an evangelical person does, instant in season and out of season. Whenever the chance comes we should share about Jesus with the people around us. It does not have to be a three point sermon that leads someone to believe in Christ!

Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers.  Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. Ephesians 4:11-13

To do the work of any of those above you have a calling, God let’s you know in some way that you are to do this as a vocation, but everyone can evangelize those around them every day by living a life that says “I believe in God the Father, I believe in Jesus as Lord, etc.” 

 If we keep our hearts pure before God as best as we know how we will be a living testament to God.

Let’s ask ourselves today;

1-Do I have a spiritual spine in Christ Jesus?

In other words do I stand up to those who wrongly persecute Him or the Church and help the persecution to stop? Or do I  just step back as Peter did when Jesus was persecuted?  John 13:38

2- Do I speak the truth in love? Or do I criticize and ridicule other Christians who live wrongly? Ephesians 4:15

Our Lord wants us to share His story with everyone, in one way or another we are to go unto all the world and preach, or teach the Gospel even to the ends of the earth. This does not mean you personally go out there unless that truly is your calling but it does mean you and I are responsible to have a strong back to stand up for Jesus in everyday living and to share about Him both in living and in Word. It takes what we call a spine to do this; that spine is Jesus!

The Word of God tells us that when we are walking right with Him; He has our back. He will be our rear guard. So what are we waiting for? Go tell someone about Jesus today, stand up for Jesus cause He stands up for you!

Dear Heavenly Father, help us to be strong in your power and your might as we live our lived holy and acceptable unto you as is our reasonable service according to Your Word. Direct our paths today in Jesus name, amen.

Suggested reading Ephesians 4:1-32,  John 13:1-38 and 2 Timothy 4:1-22.

 

Hurdling Through... in His Word 6-15-15

Hurdling through...-  in His Word 6-15-15

But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.Acts 20:24

While working on a project that requires many people and is set to produce a furtherance of the kingdom, as with any ministry event, problems will arise.

It may seem at times that the hurdles we have to fly over are way too high and that many things are preventing us from reaching the finish line; but God has a plan.

For I know the plans I have for you… Jeremiah 29:11 tells us. He does indeed have a plan, and I am quite certain that I do not always know just what God’s plan is in a situate even as I live through it. Step by step I walk through the process of planning, setting up and executing the event and yet there always seems to be one trial or another to overcome during the process.

At times it may seem as if it will just not happen. I often feel as if I will fail before I get things off the ground and yet … He knows the plans He has for me. A wise young man ones spoke about a mission trip focusing on the fact that as troubles came they looked at it with the focus of “What’s God going to do with this?”. I like that! No, I love it! 

 For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake. And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe.1 Thessalonians 1:5-7

Throughout the Old and the New Testament in the Word we see God doing amazing things in the midst of desperate situations. I am amazed each time I read about how he provided mana from heaven for the people of Israel, and how He came through for Esther and saved His people, her people, from obliteration. I have to ask myself if God can do this, save these people; then God can bring about the event in the way that He chooses to do so. After all, it’s not about me!

 Our jobs are to press on, to complete the race and then to obtain the prize of eternal life. We like to scale it down from project to project, and that is okay but it truly is about the big picture; its not about my view of things but His great and grand view and purpose.

While writing and producing Vacation Bible School’s for the summer we have a large number of objectives that take a full year of planning; ideas, scriptures, storylines, people to help, act and teach; these are only a few but they are all hurdles to run over. Sometimes it seems as if the closer we come to the production part the higher and wider the hurdle becomes; but God is with us in our race.

As a young teen I ran hurdles a couple times in track meets.  I did not finish first by a long shot but I did complete the race each time. I have short legs and this was a great feat to attempt and so to me staying on my two feet to the end of the race was enough.

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,  knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.  But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.  For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;  he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.James 1:2-8

Often I think that life is like this; we do not have to be first to win the prize we just need to complete the race on our feet! We need to do our best but if our best is not better than the rest it does not matter as long as it is good enough for God to see we have done our personal best. God requires this of us, that we do our utmost for His utmost is in us. The only way to do that is to work the job knowing that He is in it, for if God is for us no one can stand against us. (Romans 8)

The Holy Spirit, the one that guided us to salvation, is with us every step of our Christian walk to direct our paths. (Proverbs 3:5-7) We must keep running until we reach the end of the path. We must stay on the path so that we do not run into another runner or trip them up by hitting their hurdles with our floppy feet.

It is a matter of progressing forward on the path that God has set before us and not tripping up on the way. In order to do this we must trust that we will stay on the path; keep our eyes on His direction and He will direct our paths.

Sure occasionally we may knock our hurdle with the toe of the back foot in crossing but we cannot stop there and reset the hurdle we must continue to run forward! We must continue to fight the fight, to push on, to run the hurdles in front of us and keep on running until we reach the finish line.

But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. Acts 20:24

We are all running the race; we shall all be changed in the running.  Of this I am sure that we will all run, but some will stumble and fall while others continue to stay upright flying over the situations that arise in front of them. I plan to keep my eyes on Jesus as I run and know that He will direct my path and to remain in the joy of the Lord; for the joy of the Lord is my strength.  

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,   I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you.  Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.Philippians 3:12-16

Dear Heavenly Father, Help us to run with joy unspeakable and strength unbelievable as we hurdle through this weeks trails and troubles. Grant us your peace in the midst of things and keep our eyes heavenward. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Suggested Readings: Philemon 1:1-25, Philippians 3:1-21, Acts 20:1-38

Un- Word! 6-8-15 Remix

In His Word 3-31-14

Unshaken, Unselfish, Undaunted in the Word

A while back I had been following a few news articles reading of people involved in crisis and wondering how they can stand so calm in the midst of the trials they face.

In one I read of a family member searching in the mud slides of Washington State who was digging in mud and worse to find his loved one. When he found her he kept on to search for other people’s family members. I was amazed.

But he was pierced for our rebellion crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on himself the sins of us all. Isaiah 53:5-6

Would I have been as strong?

I find myself asking the same question while reading the Word of God.

Nehemiah, the wall builder, David the pursued future king, Gideon a wimp who was to be a mighty warrior of God; they all kept going because of God’s presence directing them to go.

Paul was thrown into prison, he kept sending on God’s message and guidance to other believers even when he was in chains. These mighty men of God were Unselfish in their walk with the Lord, they put Him first.

When I get worn out or tired, I like to rest. I am grateful that My God shall supply all my needs that He has provided a place of rest for my body because I could not go on day after day searching through the mud and continue to put myself out there to help others. I am not strong like that!

I am weak, but He is strong. I do believe our God gives us the supernatural strength to continue going on when we feel worn out, he gives us hope when there is not way possible to get to the answer He has given us but we need to choose to put our trust and our hope in Him.

My Bible tells me to be strong in His power and to trust Him to help me through trials.

I can do this! When things pile up around me, lists to be done I can stop drop and pray and everything will be okay right?

Sometimes, but what does work is to focus on His Word remember the things that people had to endure and still go on in their walk with God doing what He guided them to do. If they can do it in the Old Testament not having seen Jesus then of course we can do it having the testimonies in the New Testament as well! Look at the strength of Stephen as he allowed them to stone him, yet he just uttered out “Father forgive them…”

Steven was Unshaken, in His walk and relationship with God.

So what makes these people more powerful more amazing than you or I today? They totally put their trust in God.

 Each year we celebrate the most unshakable, undaunted, unselfish man in the Word. God, Jesus, the Son of Man, our Savior the Christ. He was the one person, is still the one person we can know will never fail us.

Satan tried to convince Jesus to bow to him. Jesus was Unshakable in obedience to the Father’s rules. You shall have no other God’s before me.

The people accused Him, soldiers beat Him and yet He was undaunted in His resolve to save us according to the plan of God. He was wounded for our transgressions.

One of the most amazing things of all; He was the ultimate in Un-selfishness. While hanging there on the cross Jesus thought of His mother Mary; He gave her another son to love.
When Jesus saw his mother standing there be beside the disciple he loved, he said to her. “Dear woman, here is your son.”

John 19:25-27

Even while in the pain He chose to endure to save each one of us he thought of someone else. As if saving us all from hell were not enough?

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for allowing us to walk in Your Word with Your strength. Thank you for your Son, and those who believe being strong in faith in your Word. Bring us through today’s trials in Jesus name, amen.

Suggested Reading: John 18:1-40, John19:1-42, Psalm 37:1-40, 1 Corinthian 9:1-22

Why bother? In the Word 6-1-15

Why bother? In the Word 6-1-15

When life does not go how we thought it should, why bother continuing on the same path to righteousness?

…Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead…” Philippians 3:12-13

Take a look at Saul, a Jewish Roman whom God chose to change the path he walked to bring so many words to us.

Saul was a ‘good man’ in his own eyes if no one else’s. He tried to do what his scriptures told him were right. He tried to follow the Law of Moses. Things were going along so perfectly how he thought they should go. He thought the Believers of the Way were blasphemers and were causing trouble against God.  He received permissions and funding to do away with them and punish them for being against what he thought was the truth. He was wrong.

Then Jesus stepped in his path and corrected the wrongs.

 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” And he said, “Who are You, Lord?”Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?”

Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

 And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank. Acts 9:5-8

“Lord, what do You want me to do?” The most important choice of words Saul could have asked for in his humbleness of heart God changed his path to the Truth.

Jesus changed his name to Paul,  In Hebrew the meaning of the name Saul is: 'Asked for; inquired of God.' Paul on the other hand means 'little or small'. Saul thought he was 'all that' but God showed him that he was small in comparison to what he thought. He was humbled from whom he thought he was, and brought low to the point of prison, beatings near death, and many other sufferings in order to share the Truth.

God used every part of his training; Saul was trained well as the son of a Pharisee. He knew the law and the prophets.

Then he said:  “I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers’ law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today. I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women, as also the high priest bears me witness, and all the council of the elders, from whom I also received letters to the brethren, and went to Damascus to bring in chains even those who were there to Jerusalem to be punished. “Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me. And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’  So I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’ “And those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid,^[a] but they did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me.  So I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do.’  And since I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus.Acts 22:3-11

Sometimes even when we think we are doing the right thing, we are not. Sometimes we are not the best judge of what is right. That is why we bother to follow Jesus, that I why we bother to listen to the Holy Spirit when we read the Bible and pray. If all we did was study the words in the Bible as any other book we might be able to understand some of it but without the Holy Spirit as our guide we would not understand the why, the where and the what now’s of the Word of God. 

God knew Paul would lead many people in his life time and He knew that he meant well, God knows our hearts after all. He knows the trouble you ware walking through today and He knows why you should bother to pay attention when He tells you to listen up!

For He knows the plans He has for you… Jeremiah 29:11 tells us. He knows where He is sending you and why

.

Sometimes it does not feel like it, or appear like things are turning out like we think they should have. Many of us have had dreams; we planned to achieve great things that have always seemed just out of reach. God knows our hearts, He knows our desires and if we keep going He will give us those desires in His time, in His way. Though we are told by God’s Word that our ways are not His ways; He will keep in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Him. Perhaps the delay is in not looking for His way to achieve what we desire? Perhaps we are going about things our own way, trying to be great in God’s kingdom by doing what we think is right?

Paul found out He had to look to Jesus to find the directions and stop trying to do things his own way, We need to remember that even if it looks right in our own eyes God has way better eyesight!

God has great plans for you today, for me too. I need to put my trust in Him to bring it to pass His way, not mine. His timing is perfect.

So why bother? Because He knows the plans and He knows what He will do if we just humble ourselves before Him. 

 

Dear Heavenly Father, Help us all to keep our faith in Your directions. Blind us to the things of the world that would draw us from the designs you have laid out for us to follow. Keep us close that we may hear your voice speaking to us and guiding us through the paths of life to the victory of Your plans for us. In Jesus name, amen.

Suggested reading: Acts 22:1-30, Jeremiah 29:1-22, and Philippians 3:1-21