Connecting Points

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Today’s Topic: Complete Trust

Today’s Text:  Daniel 3:28 (ESV) ²⁸ Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God.”

Sunday after church I spotted a new family in the atrium of our building. I made a beeline for them as I had not met them yet. I introduced myself to the gentleman who was obviously the father of a little girl he was holding. After exchanging names and a handshake, I asked what the name of his little girl was. She turned her head from his shoulder, looked into my eyes, and lunged towards me with extended arms. As I took her into my arms, she nestled her head into my neck and gave me the warmest and most loving hug I had had since the one I got from my wife before we left for church. It lasted a long time. It was a moment of joy, but more than that it was a moment of complete trust.

As I talked to the parents, I discovered that this little girl didn’t go to everyone like that, but that she had displayed this incredible ability to know the trustworthiness of people based on looking into their eyes. I made an immediate connection with her, and this little downs syndrome two-year old is my new special friend.

It is that kind of trust that I want to have in my Lord and Savior. It is the kind of trust I see in the lives of three men from the book of Daniel, and it was obvious to those who lived around them and with them in their day.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had taken a stand against an incredibly arrogant king who had set up a huge idol for the people to worship. King Nebuchadnezzar had issued a nation-wide command that every person was to bow down and worship the idol whenever they heard music being played. If they didn’t, they would be thrown into a furnace and burned to death.

God’s three chosen men for that time refused to bow down, and the Chaldeans, the Pharisees of their day,  brought Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego before the king for their punishment. King Nebuchadnezzar explained the rules to them, and the punishment for disobedience, and then asked them a question that revealed his arrogance – “And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?” Or, to put it in the language of our current lives, “Is there really a god who can handle things better than I can?”

At this point I would be tempted to launch into an apologetic defense of the existence of God and take it upon myself to prove to the king that his views are wrong. But that would be equally arrogant. Instead, the three men of God simply respond, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

They are immediately whisked away to the fiery furnace that has been heated to seven times its normal heat, and as the door is opened to throw them in, the guards holding them are instantly killed. But not God’s men. The One and Only God of all creation, the King of kings and Lord of lords, has accompanied His people into the fire and it does not touch them.

When the king sees it, and has them removed, they don’t even smell like smoke let alone show any signs of burning. Then the king declares “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God.”

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had so much trust in God that the declared two things to King Nebuchadnezzar – that God is able to save, and that God is worthy of trust whether He rescues or not. Based on his response to what happened, the king learned both of those lessons. True trust in God results in the yielding up of our lives, our ambitions, our dreams, our desires to serve the living God rather than serve and worship the god of self.

Go ahead, look into His eyes, and discover that He can be trusted with your life. Then lunge into His arms and stay there.

Pastor John

Connecting Points

Monday, July 29, 2013

Today’s Topic: Don’t Forget the Net

Today’s Text:  Luke 5:4-6 (ESV)  ⁴ And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”  ⁵ And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” ⁶ And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking.

It was a great vacation. I am refreshed, relaxed, and restored in my spirit. I had never been that far north into Canada before. The beauty of the wilderness filled me with awe and wonder at the mighty power and majesty of God. I saw moose swimming in the lake. I saw eagles soaring over the waters looking for food. I watched a beaver smack his tail on the water as he escaped the approaching boat. I got up close and personal with a loon as she protected her fledgling baby. Every experience made me consider the glory of the Creator who instantly made all things that exist with nothing more than His words.

While all of the glorious sights were thrilling, they were not the reason I was there. I was there to fish. And fish we did, with plenty of catching included. As my brother and I motored away from the dock every morning, our primary thoughts were not on what we would see that day, but on what we would catch. Every day was all about fishing.

Before we would start the motor we would run through a mental checklist.

• Lunch packed? Check.
• Tackle Boxes? Check.
• Fishing poles? Check.
• Nets? Check.
• Stringers? Check.
• Depth finder? Check.
• Gas tank filled? Check.
• Rain gear? Check.

Once we got out into the lake we did not want to have to return for something we needed to accomplish the mission, and the mission was to catch fish. All our thoughts and conversations were about fishing. We talked strategy. We talked technique. We evaluated locations. We analyzed weather patterns and wind conditions and lake structure. Everything we did was about finding fish and catching fish.

After a couple of days of doing that, God slammed me with this truth – I am not just a fisherman for this trip, but I am a fisher of men every day of my life. But there are many days when I leave the dock without my fishing equipment, and some days without even a thought of even going fishing.

Jesus has called us all to be fishers of men. Jesus said, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19) He has given us all the same mission to cast the net of His Gospel truth over every person that we contact every day so that He can gather into the net those that He is saving from their sin. But many days we leave the net behind, and walk out into the world with a self-defined and self-serving mission on our minds. We become so self-absorbed in our own lives that even when an obvious lunker swims by ready to be caught, we miss them because we are looking at other things and are not prepared to catch them. We leave the dock without the net of God’s love and grace because we are so in love with ourselves.

The reality of that being true in my own life broke my heart. I realized how many days I get up, grab my coffee, and head out to conquer the day without a thought or prayer for all the fish that are waiting to be captured in the net of the King. I realize that underneath that reality there are two truths at work in my heart. First, I must admit that I am more concerned about my own life and maintaining its status quo than I am about the floundering fish around me. And second, that God doesn’t really need my net to accomplish His purpose. Both are wrong, and one is downright sin.

So I commit to making sure that my purpose every day is to look for fish, and to be prepared every day with the net of God’s love and grace. I will cast it out in every situation as I make contact with people, because it is what God has called me to do. He has called you to do the same.

Connecting Points

Monday, May 13, 2013

Today’s Topic: Work With All Your Heart

Today’s Text:  Nehemiah 4:6 So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart.

Older adults were working right alongside of younger ones. Men who are suffering from terminal cancer were carrying and cutting lumber and helping install it. Inexperienced people were carefully listening to instructions and stepping way out of their comfort zone to operate power tools so skilled people could keep working on the installation of the tile. People were stopping in just to see what they could do, and no task was too insignificant for them as they agreed to do it.

This is what I saw last week at our new church building. What an honor to work alongside of people who work with all their heart to the glory of God.

I spent a lot of time out at the building last week, and that’s why my writing of these devotionals has slowed way down. I hope you understand. But you can get great first hand communication if you come out and help. We need help. The deadline for moving is fast approaching, and there is a lot to do.

Near the end of Israel’s captivity in Babylon, Nehemiah was called by God to return to Jerusalem to start the rebuilding process. When he arrived, the first thing he did was to survey the needs. When Nehemiah saw what needed to be done (Nehemiah 2:11-16) he immediately informed the leaders of the need and the plan to fix it. He called them to work.

The people of Jerusalem responded as one, and in a very short time they were half done with the job. Some opposition arose, people got tired from all the hard work, some opposition arose from outsiders which quickly turned into discouragement amongst the insiders, and suddenly the completion of the project seemed overwhelming. (Nehemiah 4:1-12) So Nehemiah prayed, encouraged the people, and put a new plan into place. The people responded, and they finished the job in record time.

With all of that in mind, it is time to report to you exactly where we are in the building process, what the needs are to finish, and encourage you to help in any way you can. Please pray, and provide as God has equipped you to provide for His Kingdom.

Work to be completed:

• Ceramic tiling of the bathrooms and the kitchen. This is a high priority and it would be nice to have the bathrooms done this week and the kitchen by the middle of next week. This will take several workers to assist our tile layers.
• Completion of the cypress trim in the church offices. The varnishing is being done today, with installation scheduled for tomorrow and Thursday.
• Painting, primarily spraying but some rolling and brushing. If you have any experience with an airless sprayer, we would appreciate your help in finishing all of the auditorium walls. We also need people to do touch up painting in next week as the building nears completion.
• Kitchen Cabinet installation when tiling is completed. The installer could use manpower for lifting and moving and fastening of all the cabinets.
• MOVING: We need lots of help packing at both our current facility and the church offices. We must have all our storage and personal items out of our building by May 25. We will also be moving many of the office items like the pastors’ libraries and youth equipment during that time.
• LANDSCAPING.: The parking lot is being staked out this week and will hopefully be done early next week. Once finished, we are responsible for the planting of 55 trees and all the grass. This is where we will need lots of people to help.

Needs:

• In addition to the labor required to finish this project, we are in need of financial contributions as well. Many of you have already given sacrificially of your time, energy, and finances, for which we are inexpressibly grateful. Some of you are not able to participate in the labor, but would like to be a part of this great work of God. Thank you in advance for your generous gifts to allow us to provide for the fixtures and supplies that are needed in many of the rooms and for the reduction of our debt, which now stands very near our maximum level.

That’s a summary of where we are. Our goal is to move into the building in early June. Our optimistic goal is that we will have our first worship service there in 20 days. It took the people of Jerusalem only 52 days to guild the whole wall around the city. If we all work with all our heart, we can do it. Call me and I will show you how you can serve.

Pastor John

Connecting Points

Monday, May 06, 2013

Today’s Topic: Spilled Apples

Today’s Text:  Deuteronomy 4:35, 39  ³⁵ To you it was shown, that you might know that the LORD is God; there is no other besides him…³⁹ know therefore today, and lay it to your heart, that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other.

I am overwhelmed to the point of speechlessness. Hard to believe, right? But it’s true. I am not able to formulate any clever or clear thoughts to write. I can only think of one thing – the awesomeness of God. He has completely captured my attention this morning by interrupting what I thought were well laid plans of His design, and has totally upset the cart. Apples – golden apples of God’s wisdom – are spilling all over the path of my life, and it is incredible. The potential is unfathomable. The possibilities are indescribable. It is the hand of God moving.

Have you ever had this happen to you? Right when you thought you had brought the plan to conclusion, God upsets it and says there’s more. Our response at such times is important. Some try to pick up the apples and put them back in the cart where they were. Others consider all the apples a waste and move on to find other apples. Some try to find a bigger cart and rearrange the apples so they don’t spill again.

Me? I am just standing here staring at the apples and the cart, and wondering what God is going to tell me to do with it all. Anything I try to do at this point will minimize my understanding of who He is and what He can do. So instead of doing anything, I turn to Scripture and read about His greatness. When His hand interrupts life, I have found that the wisest and best thing to do is to move my eyes from what His hand is doing and focus on His heart that moves His hand.

²⁵ To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? says the Holy One. ²⁶ Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name, by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power not one is missing. ²⁷ Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God”? ²⁸ Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. ²⁹ He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. ³⁰ Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; ³¹ but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:25-31 (ESV)

For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite. Isaiah 57:15 (ESV)

“There is none like God, O Jeshurun, who rides through the heavens to your help, through the skies in his majesty. ²⁷ The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms. Deuteronomy 33:26-27 (ESV)

For though the LORD is high, he regards the lowly, but the haughty he knows from afar. ⁷ Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me. ⁸The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever. Psalm 138:6-8 (ESV)

I confess that my first thought at times like this is to ask, “So God, what’s next?” But I’m learning instead to just wait until He initiates that conversation. Until then, I’m just going to press on with what He’s already said to do, and enjoy His presence as I wait for His next move. There is no other God like Him, and He will fulfill His purpose if we wait for Him to do it.

Pastor John

Connecting Points

Monday, May 06, 2013

Today’s Topic: It’s Better Up Ahead

Today’s Text:  Proverbs 23:17-18 (ESV) ¹⁷ Let not your heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of the LORD all the day. ¹⁸ Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.

I’m not a huge fan of the opening weekend of fishing season. Don’t get me wrong, I really like to fish, but I don’t get really excited about it until spawning is over. This year more than ever I’m glad I don’t have a love for opening day, because I’m even less of a fan of ice fishing.

Fishing trips with my sons, my brother and his son, and my best friend are my favorite. The last two years have been similar, as we fished on two lakes we had never been on before. Actually, I had been on them, but only to scout them out to provide everyone else with the best possible experience.

When we got on the lakes for the first time as a group, and headed out from the campsite, it was fun to watch and listen to the guys in the boat as I drove. “That looks like a great spot.” “Let’s try that spot, it looks perfect.” “Slow down, I want to try over there.” Onward I sped, promising them that up ahead was something even better.

How often in our lives are we distracted from what has been promised by what looks good right now? The answer is obvious: it happens all the time. We are compelled by our need for immediate satisfaction to look around, when the greatest gratification is to be found in the glory that is to come. We settle for less than has been promised even though the Guide has been where we are and promises something better up ahead.

I was convicted of that truth this morning when I read today’s promise from Charles Spurgeon’s devotional called Faith’s Checkbook. Here it is:

When we see the wicked prosper we are apt to envy them. When we hear the noise of their laughter and our own spirit is heavy, we start to think that they have the best of it. This is foolish and sinful. If we knew them better, and specifically if we remembered their future, we should pity them.

The cure for envy lies in living under a constant sense of the divine presence, worshiping God and communing with Him all the day long, however long the day may seem. True religion lifts the soul into a higher region, where the judgment becomes more clear and the desires are more elevated. The more of heaven there is in our lives, the less of earth we shall covet. The fear of God casts out envy of men.

The deathblow of envy is a calm consideration of the future. The wealth and glory of the ungodly are a vain show. This pompous appearance flashes out for an hour and then is extinguished. Is the prosperous sinner the better for his prosperity when judgment overtakes him? As for the godly man, his end is peace and blessedness, and none can rob him of his joy; wherefore, let him forgo envy and be filled with sweet content.

This line truly captured my heart – The more of heaven there is in our lives, the less of earth we shall covet. Let that be our perspective today and every day. Let nothing of the present distract us from the promised glory that is ahead.

Pastor John

Connecting Points

Friday, May 03, 2013

Today’s Topic: Someday…

Today’s Text:  Genesis 45:3-8 (ESV) ³ And Joseph said to his brothers…⁴ “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. ⁵ And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. ⁷ And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors…⁸ So it was not you who sent me here, but God.

Someday. That word begins many of our thoughts and our spoken sentences. We use it to express goals and ambitions. When I was young I had a lot of somedays. Someday I will be a doctor. Someday I will be a Coast Guard officer. Someday I will be a pilot. Someday I will be a missionary.

We use someday to express hope. Someday the snow will be gone. Someday I will play golf again. Someday I will get to go fishing on open water. Someday the Lord Jesus is coming back.

We also use the word someday to express hurtful thoughts. Someday they will get what’s coming to them. Someday I will pay them back.

That could have been the attitude of Joseph. Sold into bondage and considered dead by his brothers, and reported as dead to his father, he ends up in a foreign land as a slave. Resentment and bitterness could have easily been his choice. Plans for revenge could have occupied his thoughts. Someday I will use my power to teach them a lesson they will never forget. I will pay them back.

We would not have any trouble identifying with Joseph had he done that. We have done it. It would validate our own choices. But that was not the choice Joseph made. He chose a different someday.

I think Joseph chose the most honorable someday anyone can ever choose. He chose to say, “Someday I will return good to those who hurt me and use whatever was intended for harm to produce a blessing.”

That’s what faith looks like – faith in the absolute sovereignty of God. Joseph had faith in the promises of God and the character of God to fulfill those promises without fail. He had faith in the timetable of God: not only is everything for a Divine purpose but also fits perfectly into a divine plan. He had faith enough to endure unjustified suffering multiple times, and like his prophesied Messiah he never retaliated or spoke a word of defense or hurt in return. Joseph had the authority to do whatever he wanted with his brothers when they came to him for help, but he did not do it. He worked out a plan that eventually brought the whole family under his protection while gently teaching them to admit where they had been wrong.

Oh how much like our Savior that is! God the Father, in His eternal love for those He created in His image, has the power and authority to do with us whatever He chooses and our sin deserves, yet He patiently waited for the Someday when He would send His Son to do good for us while gently teaching us to admit where we were wrong. That is the glory of the Gospel – Jesus Christ willingly suffering unjustly for those that He intends to save.

Someday I will get that right. Someday I will stop trying to get ahead, or at least even. Someday I will be strong enough to endure whatever is said about me or done to me and trust God to work it all out according to His plan and in His time.

Lord, let someday be today.

Pastor John

Connecting Points

Thursday, May 02, 2013

Today’s Topic: Purity

Today’s Text:  Genesis 39:9 (ESV) “How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?”

We are surrounded by it. We are constantly confronted with visual images that immediately connect with pride’s pursuit of personal pleasure. From television commercials to regular programming, it is almost impossible to spend more than five minutes watching anything without either innuendo about it or clear and corrupt communication describing it. It covers the magazines at the grocery check-out counter. It pops up in totally unrelated ads on the sides of our Facebook pages. It is not an assumption to say that it sells. We allow it to. We choose to pay attention to it. We are silent about its presence in our lives but even more silent in public about our superficial stand against it.

Fornication is the term that best describes it, even though it is an outdated word according to modern culture. Its definition has been revised to include words like freedom, personal choice, and sexual expression leading to greater fulfillment. But call it what you will, it is outright rebellion against God. It is wickedness and sin.

It comes in many forms, but it all starts in the heart of a person who allows the lust of the flesh to become a choice to gratify self. Sexual expression and sexual experiences of any kind outside of the bond of marriage between one woman and one man is an abomination to the Lord God. Every form of lust and sexual expression other than God’s ordained type of marriage defiles us.

Strong words I know, but they are not mine. Jesus said, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.” Matthew 15:19-20 (ESV) Paul said, “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality;  that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor,  not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God.” 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 (ESV)  And Peter said, “The Lord knows how to … keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment, and especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority. Bold and willful, they do not tremble as they blaspheme the glorious ones. 2 Peter 2:9-10 (ESV)

The Apostle Paul has more words about this in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10. “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”  And the writer of Hebrews says this – “Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.” Hebrews 13:4 (ESV)

It is about time that the people who call themselves followers of Christ begin to deal with the issue of secret sexual sin, and become so convinced of Christ’s saving power from all sin that they are able to proclaim as Joseph did in the face of sexual temptation, “How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?”

It starts by cleaning up and renewing our minds. How can we say or even desire to be filled with the Holy Spirit when we have made an intentional choice to hang on to the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. We lust in our minds based on what we have seen and done in the past. We lust with our eyes based on what we want to see again. And it is all motivated by the pride of life that compels us to seek personal gratification because we do not really believe that Jesus Christ is sufficient to fill us and fulfill our lives.

It may not be possible to avoid every display of sexuality in the world around us, but we can certainly say no to every temptation to let it into our hearts and minds. We can turn away, turn off, and turn around every time it presents itself. That is the promise of victory over every sin as we walk in the Spirit and not according to the flesh. (Read Romans 8:1-11)

So let’s all begin today to have the heart of Joseph, and no matter what society says, recognize that we are all ultimately responsible to God and every sin is first and foremost against Him.

Pastor John

Connecting Points

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Today’s Topic: Consider Christ

Today’s Text:  Genesis 39:20 (ESV)  And Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined, and he was there in prison.

Is not the picture of Christ becoming more and more clear in the life of Joseph? Does not the nature of the Perfect Servant manifest itself in the response of one who loves the Lord to the injustice thrust upon him? Are we not strengthened and encouraged for the reality of our own lives when we see the faithfulness of God to sustain and strengthen those who are faithful to the Holy Spirit in them?

The deeper I go into this incredible study of the life of Joseph, the more I am confronted with my own pride that seeks to protect myself and to be known by taking the side of righteousness. I am convicted of my motives for arguing right and wrong, which many times are just to prove I’m right so I can validate myself. Yet here, in this simple life of Joseph, I see Jesus, our supreme Example of how to walk in an evil world.

Joseph was described as a handsome man in both form and appearance. Potiphar’s wife took notice, and while her husband was busy running the country, she wanted some attention and sought it from this Hebrew slave. She tried to use her position and his bondservant obligations to satisfy her own pleasures. Joseph refused, and in her fear of being discovered she took the offensive and falsely accused Joseph of attempted rape. Her husband believed her, and had Joseph thrown into prison.

“That’s not fair!” We cry out against such injustice, and well we should, for it stands in opposition to the spirit of holiness and justice we have received from the Lord. But we have also received the mind of Christ who humbled himself to suffer unjustly on our behalf. (Phil. 2) Consider the agreement between Joseph’s response to injustice and the life of Jesus:

• Both were tempted but did not sin;
• Both resisted the temptation three times;
• Both were falsely accused;
• Both remained silent in their own defense;
• Both accepted the punishment they did not deserve;
• Both punishments purchased freedom;
• Both imprisonments – Joseph’s literal and Christ’s spiritual – pronounced judgment.

Read the story again in Genesis 39-41. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to the incredible truths of redemption. See the practical and prophetic applications of Christ’s life lived in the midst of injustice.

Oh that our lives would first and foremost embrace the life of Christ that willingly sacrifices self for the sake of others. Then and only then may we confidently and correctly address the injustice around us with the right motives – motives of humility, not pride.

Pastor John

Connecting Points

Monday, April 29, 2013

Today’s Topic: Do It Well

Today’s Text:  Genesis 39:3-4 (ESV) ³ His master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD caused all that he did to succeed in his hands. ⁴ So Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him, and he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had.

I saw a funny post on Facebook this morning. It was a picture of a young woman sitting on the floor with her head in her hands. The caption read “The first five day of the weekend are the hardest.”

Mondays are tough for many people because it means back to work after one or two days off. We tend to live for self. We serve our employer out of obligation and necessity, but we set our sights on the times we get to do what we think makes us happy. We endure work so we can reach playtime.

May I suggest to you that as followers of Jesus Christ we choose a different perspective? You see, work is not cursed. God gave Adam work to do in the Garden before Eve was even created, let alone sin showing up on the scene. God ordained work as good and meaningful for man. It was a part of His perfect creation designed to bring abundance to man’s existence.

Over and over in Scripture we read of people who worked hard and were blessed. We hear the Apostle Paul saying, “Whatever you do in word or deed, do it all in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ,” and “Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ,  not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,  rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man,  knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.”

Only one conclusion can be drawn from the preponderance of evidence in the Bible – your work matters to God and He expects you to do it well, even on Mondays.

Joseph wasn’t in the ideal job. He wasn’t even in his place of choice. It was all forced upon him by the evil intentions of others. Yet Joseph did three things that we can connect with:

1. He accepted his position as the current choice of God for His life, knowing that God’s presence brings God’s blessing.
2. He let everyone around Him see that the Lord was with him.
3. He did any job he was given with excellence, and he found favor with his master.

So rather than sit around with your head in your hands dreading the return to work, start thanking God that you have work and that He is at work in your life. Instead of complaining about your boss, impress him with your excellence. Someone has said that the reason the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence is that you are spending too much time there watering it when you should be watering your own grass.

So get to work – and do it well. It is God’s will for you.

Pastor John

Connecting Points

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Today’s Topic: Sitting in the Waiting Room

Today’s Text:  Genesis 39:1 (ESV) Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, had bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there.                              Genesis 37:9 (ESV) ⁹ Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”

How many minutes of our lives are spent sitting and waiting? Maybe it would be better tallied in hours. We wait in doctor’s offices, DMV (department of motor vehicles) lines, grocery store check-out lines, Texas Roadhouse, and the worst of all, stoplights. Hours of life spent waiting. We do it because we know what’s coming. We are willing to wait for what has been promised – medical help, driving privileges, nourishment, and green lights.

The issue is not that we wait, but rather how we wait. What we do while we are waiting says a lot about who we are.

The sign on the wall of the doctor’s waiting room says “If you have been waiting more than twenty minutes for your appointment, please tell the receptionist.” After ten minutes I am already watching the clock and at nineteen minutes I’m starting to make my move.

At the DMV we watch the numbers flash on the wall, trying to predict who will be next, and hoping that someone got discouraged and left so our number comes up faster. We call ahead for seating at the restaurant so when we arrive we can jump ahead of those who have been waiting longer. And at stoplights, we watch the light controlling the opposing traffic so we can predict when ours will turn green and we can get an immediate jump on everyone else.

We have trouble waiting, and the trouble is caused by our need for immediacy. We want immediate gratification, immediate fulfillment, and immediate solutions. We think we have the right to put our needs ahead of everyone else’s. We determine the appropriate amount of wait time and when it is reached, we spring into action to bring about a quicker resolution. After all, a promise is not a promise unless we can have it fulfilled now, right?

What we do while we wait on God is a significant statement of our faith. Weak faith takes action. Strong faith gets stronger. Weak faith disrupts the potential for the greatest blessing. Strong faith receives the full reward God intended. Weak faith enjoys a moment of personal satisfaction in knowing what it accomplished. Strong faith enjoys an eternity of joy seeing what God has accomplished. Weak faith takes control of the outcome and suffers the consequences. Strong faith leaves the outcome to the Lord and experiences peace that passes all understanding.

In all of the tragedies of Joseph’s life that were thrust upon him by weak-faithed control freaks, never once did he stop waiting for God to fulfill His promise to him. He had enough faith to never stop believing the God-given dream. He never tried to change the dream or hurry the dream, and he most certainly never tried to fulfill the dream in his own way. He waited, and as he waited through false accusations and false imprisonments, and false friendships, he grew stronger until the day God chose to fulfill the dream.

Those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Many of us are sitting in waiting rooms right now. We are waiting on construction jobs, job interviews, relationships, financial issues, adoptions, and a myriad of other situations. Life is lived most often in a waiting room. But it is a waiting room of God’s design and choosing. So pick up the available reading material on the coffee table that’s been provided by the eternal Doctor (the Bible), and sit back and relax. No matter how long it takes, God always fulfills His promises.

Just ask Joseph.