Connecting Points

Wednesday, February 09, 2011

Today’s Topic: All Is Well

Today’s Text: Isaiah 34:1 Come near, you nations, and listen; pay attention, you peoples! Let the earth hear, and all that is in it, the world, and all that comes out of it!.

My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus blood and righteousness. The words of this grand old hymn are ringing in my head. Oh how I long for them to be absolutely true of my life. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name. No matter how sweet and inviting the world looks, it will not last, nor will it satisfy. On Christ the solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand. All other ground is sinking sand.

As I contemplated the real life application of that truth to my life, I was reminded by the Holy Spirit of the additional verses of that song.

When darkness seems to hide His face,
I rest on His unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.

No matter how dark the world begins to look around me, and how severe the storms of my life become, I know I stand secure in Christ. Why, because His Word NEVER fails. His promises are ALWAYS fulfilled. In Christ our hope is secure!

His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.

Then the final verse came to my mind. It fixed my eyes where they are supposed to be all of the time – on the coming of Jesus to reclaim what is rightfully His. Since I am His, I will be a part of the Lord’s worldwide reclamation project.

When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh may I then in Him be found.
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.

It was then that I discovered the thirty-fourth chapter of Isaiah. It is the beginning of the conclusion of the story for this particular section which describes God’s judgment on man’s sin and rebellion. Isaiah gets our attention in verse one, and then he begins to describe the incredible day of the Lord’s vengeance (verse 8) which culminates in the enemies of God being destroyed and the people of God being restored in a transformed physical world.

As I was reading, a line from verse four jumped off the page at me and reminded me of another song – one that hitchhiked on the previous song still be sung in my spirit. The line is and the sky rolled up like a scroll. As a part of God’s judgment of sin and redemption of the physical world, Isaiah describes the transformations of nature that will take place. As the stars of heaven dissolve, and the sky rolls up like a scroll, I am reminded that there’s nothing in this world that I can stand on, but because I stand on the Rock of Jesus Christ it is well with my soul.

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

Pastor John

Connecting Points

Monday, February 07, 2011

Today’s Topic: Celebrate the Victory

Today’s Text: Isaiah 33:20 Look upon Zion, the city of our festivals; your eyes will see Jerusalem, a peaceful abode, a tent that will not be moved; its stakes will never be pulled up, nor any of its ropes broken.

There sure are a lot of happy people in Wisconsin today. It has something to do with a football game. Congratulations to all my Packer friends. This is a time for you to enjoy this great victory. I am truly happy for you.

However, I wonder how many people will wake up in a week and discover that the heaviness of life will have returned to their hearts? No matter how great this moment, it is a temporary one, and does nothing – absolutely nothing – to satisfy the longing of our hearts for meaning and purpose. How sad it is for those who put their hope in man and man’s accomplishments.

But there is a victory coming someday that will satisfy every longing of our human hearts. For many of us the victory is already being experienced in our spirit. Others will discover the truth soon, maybe even today. Greg Jennings of the Green Bay Packers testified to it last night, when in the midst of the awe of the victory, he looked up and around at all that was happening and declared in front of a worldwide audience, “Glory to God.” As great as that moment was after such a thrilling victory, it was not to be compared with the awe we have for Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

Look up and around, for the day of the Lord is coming with greater majesty and splendor than any football game could produce. Jesus is coming, and when He does He will fill the world with the spectacle of His presence. The blessings of His victory will satisfy us for all eternity.

In our study of Isaiah, in chapter 33, here’s what the Lord says the world will be like after His return. This is what we truly long for with all our hearts:

• Peace and Permanence – verse 20 – a peaceful abode, a tent that will not be moved; its stakes will never be pulled up, nor any of its ropes broken.
• Powerful leadership – verse 21 – There the LORD will be our Mighty One.
• Protection – verse 21 – It will be like a place of broad rivers and streams. No galley with oars will ride them, no mighty ship will sail them. Broad rivers refers to the borders of the land being uncrossable by any enemy.
• Justice and Righteousness – verse 22 – For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; it is he who will save us.
• Complete trust in God alone – verse 23 – Your rigging hangs loose: The mast is not held secure, the sail is not spread.
• Plenty of provisions for every person’s needs – verse 23 – Then an abundance of spoils will be divided and even the lame will carry off plunder.
• Perfect health and well-being – verse 24 – No one living in Zion will say, “I am ill”;
• The forgiveness of all sin – verse 24 – and the sins of those who dwell there will be forgiven.

Go ahead – celebrate this victory. But don’t let it become more important than the victory that is to come when Jesus Returns – a victory you can celebrate every day of your life and one that is eternally more significant.\

Pastor John

Connecting Points

Friday, February 04, 2011

Today’s Topic: Out of Nothing Comes Everything

Today’s Text: Isaiah 33:10 “Now will I arise,” says the LORD. “Now will I be exalted; now will I be lifted up.”

Humility.

It is the exact opposite of what the world teaches. Since we were born we have been bombarded with the message that we must excel. We must do everything in our power to become the best that we can be. We must win at all cost. We must get our own way in everything. We must strive with all our might to exceed the popularity, power, and position of everyone close to us. We believe that the true measure of our worth is in the value of our possessions.

Pastor Leith Anderson, in a sermon he preached in 1999 called The Height of Humility, told this story:

It was a strange bicycle race. According to the story I read, the object of this race in India was to go the shortest distance possible within a specified time. At the start of the race, everyone cued up at the line. When the gun sounded all the bicycles, as best they could, stayed put. Racers were disqualified if they tipped over or one of their feet touched the ground. And so they would inch forward just enough to keep the bike balanced. When the time was up and another gun sounded, the person who had gone the farthest was the loser and the person closest to the starting line was the winner.

Imagine getting into that race and not understanding how the race works. When the race starts, you pedal as hard and fast as you possibly can. You’re out of breath. You’re sweating. You’re delighted because the other racers are back there at the starting line. You’re going to break the record. You think, This is fantastic. Don’t let up. Push harder and faster and longer and stronger.

At last you hear the gun that ends the race, and you are delighted because you are unquestionably the winner. Except you are unquestionably the loser because you misunderstood how the race is run.

Jesus gives us the rules to the eternal race of life. The finish line is painted on the other side of our deaths, right in front of the throne of God himself. There you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous. The winning strategy for this life and for all eternity is caring about others and not about ourselves. It is letting others go first and not pushing to the front. It is giving without the expectation of getting in return. It is to be humble, like Jesus.

Twice yesterday I had this illustrated to me in the lives of two men from our church. Both examples involved their work and their responsibilities as managers. Both have to do with upcoming Super Bowl game on Sunday. Both men are in management in their respective places of business. Both told similar stories of personal greed that will require them to show Godly humility.

In both stories, an employee was scheduled to work the closing shift on Sunday night, meaning that they would have to miss the big game. In the first instance, after unsuccessfully trying to find someone to take her place on her shift, the employee sent a text message to her boss simply stating that she quit. She made a decision that the game and being with her friends was more important than her job and financial decision. She will regret that. If not now, then most certainly later when this kind of selfish behavior brings her to rock bottom. Her decision is most likely going to result in her boss, also a huge Packer fan, to have to work and miss the game.

The second story is similar. The employee didn’t quit, but made life so miserable for everyone around her by her whining and complaining that she deserved to be fired. Instead, her boss and huge Packer fan, and a Christian, stepped up to the plate and volunteered to work for her. He said he wanted to be the bigger person. I told him he was being the Godly person.

Scripture is clear that God will arise and be exalted, and bring us with Him, when we renounce self and trust Him to be our Provider and Protector. It’s not what we learn from the world, but it is what results in ultimate glory – for Jesus and for us. Remember His words? The first will be last, and the last will be first. Anyone who loses his life for My sake will find it, but whoever strives to keep his life will lose it.

Pastor John

Connecting Points

Thursday, February 03, 2011

Today’s Topic: Fear is the Key

Today’s Text: Isaiah 33:2 O LORD, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress.

Have you ever felt like even when you try to do right you can’t get past the consequences of your past? Frustrating, isn’t it? Our past has a way of catching up with us, and when it does it usually overpowers us.

That was the story of the nation of Assyria. They were a treacherous nation that was despised by the other nations of the world. They not only conquered lands, but terrorized people. They were brutal in their tactics. But it was going to catch up to them.

The day would come when Assyria would try to relax and enjoy the fruit of their conquering. But what they had done to others would be returned unto them no matter how much they announced that their terrorist days were done.

Isaiah is praying that the day would come when the attacks would stop and be reversed. He knows that because of their sin the nation of Israel has deserved the punishment that has been inflicted upon them by the Assyrians. He also knows that their past will overwhelm them and that they have no power to stop it. So he cries out to the LORD YHWH and says, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress.

One quick connecting point before we move on – when your past catches up with you, humble yourself and cry out to God. You cannot stop the consequences of your sin. Only Jesus can. His mercy and grace are the only thing that can give you the victory over the past. He is your strength and salvation in time of distress.

Then, after Isaiah asks for grace from the Lord, in a model of prayer for us all when we are in need, begins to proclaim the promises of God and declare the Lord’s attributes. He begins, in faith, to announce what He knows will happen, and that knowledge is based on who he knows God to be. This is what Isaiah said, and can be a model to us all as we pray and declare the glory of the Lord:

• There is no one greater than the Lord – At the thunder of your voice, the peoples flee; when you rise up, the nations scatter. (verse 3)
• The Lord will restore us and bless us – Your plunder, O nations, is harvested as by young locusts; like a swarm of locusts men pounce on it. (verse 4)
• The Lord will be exalted in the land and bring peace – The LORD is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness. (verse 5)
• The Lord is faithful and can be trusted – He will be the sure foundation for your times, (verse 6a)
• The Lord will provided everything we need – a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; (verse 6b)

Then Isaiah says one more thing. He gives us the key to victory over our past and the blessings of the future. He says, the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure. The fear of the Lord can easily be defined this way:

Father Exalted And Revered.

So that leads us to these questions –

• “In my life, is the Father exalted and revered?”
• “Do I believe that I can deliver myself?”
• “Am I expecting God to deliver me from my past and my sin based on my own merit or on the work of Jesus Christ on the cross?”
• “Do I expect God to bless me and believe I deserve it, or do I fear God and trust Him with every part of my life regardless of the blessings promised, just because He is worthy?”

O LORD, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress.

Pastor John

Connecting Points

Wednesday, February 02, 2011

Today’s Topic: May I Have Your Attention?

Today’s Text: Isaiah 32:10 In little more than a year you who feel secure will tremble; the grape harvest will fail, and the harvest of fruit will not come.

Massive winter storms in America.

Cyclones with 180 mile per hour winds in Australia.

Civil unrest in Egypt threatening the political stability of the region.

Oil prices projected to more than double.

Need I go on? All around us things are anything but normal. Peace of mind is a past tense experience for many. Worry is building. Fear is replacing faith.

Life has been good for a long time for most of us in America. There have been ups and downs and some financial and political storms, but we have always weathered them. We have been trained by history to believe that this too shall pass. So we tighten our belts for a time, make some adjustments to our lifestyle, and plan for the day when it’s over and we can get back to living the way we dream to live.

Well guess what? One of these days the storm won’t pass. Listen – I’m not trying to ruin your day or be the gloom and doom man, but the truth is that God’s Word says there is a time coming when the storm will not pass. These preliminary storms are not supposed to strengthen our resolve to survive and get back everything we may have lost. They are to get our attention and turn our hearts towards God so that we learn to trust Him and experience His peace no matter what the storm may bring.

Listen to the Word of the Lord through the prophet Isaiah as He speaks to people who had become complacent about their faith and dependent upon their culture for their value and purpose. (Men, pay attention – this applies to us as well even though it’s addressed to women).

You women who are so complacent, rise up and listen to me; you daughters who feel secure, hear what I have to say! In little more than a year you who feel secure will tremble; the grape harvest will fail, and the harvest of fruit will not come. Tremble, you complacent women; shudder, you daughters who feel secure! Strip off your clothes, put sackcloth around your waists. The fortress will be abandoned, the noisy city deserted; citadel and watchtower will become a wasteland forever, the delight of donkeys, a pasture for flocks, till the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, (my emphasis) and the desert becomes a fertile field, and the fertile field seems like a forest. Justice will dwell in the desert and righteousness live in the fertile field. The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever. My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest. Though hail flattens the forest and the city is leveled completely, how blessed you will be, (my emphasis) sowing your seed by every stream, and letting your cattle and donkeys range free.

There is one reason and one reason only that the storms of life, whether in nature or in your personal life, continue to rage – we are not seeking God with all our heart. We are more in love with the world than we are with God. We are more in love with ourselves than we are with God. We do not love Jesus with all our heart because we reserves sections of it for the pleasures of the world. We do not love God with all our mind because we allow the lust of the flesh to captivate our thinking. We do not love God with all our soul because we still seek to satisfy our need for acceptance and value with the approval of people. We do not love God with all our strength because we so easily give in to the temptations of sin. And as a result, there are storms.

My friends, the storms will continue to come because the power of sin will continue to dominate the world and keep them from turning to Jesus. But those storms must not turn our hearts from the love of God. In fact, in the life of one who truly loves God, the storms draw us closer and we experience more grace and more peace. May the storms today, whatever they are wherever you are, turn your eyes upon Jesus. Every storm is God’s megaphone through which He is shouting, May I have your attention?

Pastor John

Connecting Points

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Today’s Topic: Priorities – Part 2

Today’s Text: Luke 4:1-2 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.

I know, it’s Tuesday and it’s supposed to be my day off. But this is a wrangled week. Tomorrow I have some outpatient surgery done that will lay me up at home for a couple of days so I’m working today. Nothing serious, but will take a couple of days to heal. If I’m up to it I might be back on line on Thursday, but hopefully Friday for sure.

I have an assignment for you for the next few days. I will be spending some time contemplating the whole priority issue we reviewed yesterday and deepening my understanding of the Lord’s words about denying self. To help with that process, I want to really study the life of Jesus in one particular experience He had when He was tempted to connect himself to the world’s system and values. I think it would be beneficial for all of us to spend some time looking at it.

The event we will look at is the temptation of Christ in the wilderness following His baptism. Let’s read the story and see how the Holy Spirit draws some connecting points to our own lives as He helps us understand the temptations we experience to seek our value and purpose from the world. I have combined the stories from Matthew and Luke into one so we can get the whole picture.

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ The devil then led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus answered, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Then the devil led him up to a very high mountain and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.  And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So if you bow down and worship me, it will all be yours.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” Then the devil left him until an opportune time, and angels came and attended him.

Three specific temptations that manifest themselves in a variety of ways in our lives today. Some are very obvious. Most are very subtle and subversive. Do you recognize them?

• The temptation to not trust God for our physical needs
• The temptation to try to mingle the pleasures of the world with the promises of God
• The temptation to find our value and status from the world and not from God

I trust that the Holy Spirit will teach us all to recognize them and defend against them with the authority of God’s Word as Jesus did. This will take effort. Don’t just skim over this. Submit to the teaching of the Holy Spirit as He reveals to us the specific areas of our lives where we have fallen into sin. Denial does not help us. We must open our hearts and our minds to the cleansing and purifying work of the Holy Spirit. After all, we say we love the Lord our God with all our heart, our mind, our soul, and our strength. Maybe the priorities of our lives should reflect that.

Pastor John

Connecting Points

Monday, January 24, 2011

Today’s Topic: Priorities

Today’s Text: Matthew 16:24-26 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?

What an exciting day yesterday. I couldn’t have planned the outcome better. Everything came together perfectly. People were enthusiastic. Some even stood to experience the victory. It was a wonderful worship service.

Ah ha! Gotcha! How many of you are willing to confess right now that you thought I was talking about the football game? I know that was an important event in the lives of Green Bay Packer football fans, but why does it capture us so completely that it at times overwhelms our sensitivity to the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

Yesterday’s worship service couldn’t have been more timely. It was planned long before we knew that there was going to be an NFC championship football game involving the local favorite. It had everything in it that prepared us to respond correctly to whatever happened in the game. Today will be the test as to whether we learned anything or not.

In the songs we sang, the Scripture we read, and the teaching we received, there was a consistent theme of surrender. Over and over again we were challenged with the words of Jesus who said, with my personal points of emphasis added, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?

• There are no exclusions or exceptions – anyone who wants to follow Jesus MUST make Him the priority of their life
• There are no additions allowed – anyone who wants to find the real and full meaning and purpose of life must first lose their own life and take up the cross of Jesus Christ.
• There are no advantages to replacing Jesus with the things of the world – NONE. All things of this world will fade and be lost, even the joy of a football game. But the joy of knowing and serving Jesus is eternal.

At the conclusion of the service dozens of people stood to commit these truths to the heart and soul, and to begin to place Jesus on the throne of their lives. It was incredible. They are the ones who are today experiencing the real victory – the spiritual victory over sin and the flesh. They are the ones who will spend today talking more about Jesus than they will the Packers of the Steelers or the Jets or the Bears. They are the people who will show more enthusiasm in their speech and have more bounce in their step, and it won’t be because a football game turned out the way they wanted – it will be because they are living for Jesus and know the incredible grace it took to bring them the victory they now have.

Already the plans are being made for day of the Super Bowl. Parties are being planned. Tickets are being bought by some. Calls are being made to friends to see if they could connect to watch it together. People are enthralled with the hope of a victory in a game that has no guarantee to take place. And even if it does, and even if their team wins, what will it really profit them? Is our value system so messed up that we find our worth in what our favorite sports team accomplishes?

My friends, if my team were in the Super Bowl I would be excited also. But I pray – I’m on my knees today as I was in church yesterday – that NOTHING would ever be more important in this life than the love of Jesus and following Him. May we be as enthusiastic about sharing the Good News of salvation with people as we are about talking about the game.

Pastor John

Connecting Points

Friday, January 21, 2011

Today’s Topic: Am I A Shelter?

Today’s Text: Isaiah 32:1-2 See, a king will reign in righteousness and rulers will rule with justice. Each man will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in the desert and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land.

Brrrrr!!! It’s cold this morning. Twenty-five below at my house at 6:00 AM. Makes me wish for a hot sunny day, but then I know I’d complain about that also and be looking for a shady place or some air conditioning. So, we bundle up and live with it. On the bright side, the sun came up again, and there’s hardly any wind. Sure is nice to have a working furnace in the house and a warm office from which to work. Everyone needs shelter from the weather.

The nation of Israel sure went through a lot of “weather” changes, if by weather we mean political and spiritual issues. When they obeyed God, He upheld His covenant of blessing with them. When they disobeyed Him, He upheld the consequences stated in the same covenant. God always fulfills His covenants.

In chapter thirty-one of Isaiah, which at first glance at today’s Scripture makes it appear we have skipped completely, God continues to discipline His people for their rebellion, and also declares the punishment that will fall on the nation of Assyria for rejecting Jehovah. Then in chapter thirty-two God gives a great statement of hope – a King will reign in righteousness.

From a historical perspective, this refers to King Hezekiah, whose reign was one of righteousness and peace. But from a spiritual and prophetic perspective this promise declares the coming of Jesus Christ as King. What joy I find in these words – Jesus is a shelter from the wind, a refuge from the storm, a stream of living water that nourishes and brings life to the desert places, and the rock that provides shade and protection from the scorching sun of sin.

What joy there is in those thoughts. What refreshment of my spirit there is in relationship with Jesus. He stabilizes my life when the winds of adversity blow against me. He protects me from the storms of crisis and gives me peace even in the midst of them. When the thirst of my soul is no longer satisfied with the water of the world and my pursuits have dried up like the sands of the desert, a spring of living water bubbles up from within and satisfies my every longing. And when the stress of life saps my energy like the heat of the noonday sun God invites me into the shade of His presence and I find rest.

Wait…there is a challenge tucked away in the midst of these blessings. Do you see it at the start of the second sentence? The New International Version translates this so that these things are to be true of us as well. We are to be shelters from the wind for others who are unstable. We are to be a place of refuge and peace for those around us who are being battered by the storms of life. We are to be like streams of fresh and refreshing water for those who are not finding satisfaction from the ways of the world. We are to be the place of shade and rest for those whose strength has been sapped by the scorching sun of sin.

You and I. We are the representatives of the righteous King to those living in a weary land. Just as Jesus is our shelter in the time of storm, so are we to be a place of protection for our friends and neighbors when they are being pounded by the winds and waves of adversity. But wait, we are to be like the Rock to more than just friends and neighbors. It is the love of God that will transform our enemies, and what better way to show them His love than to offer them help and hope when they are in their greatest need.

How I praise God for being my Rock, my Refuge, my shelter. Yet I am convicted that I am not those same things to others around me. Lord, make me a servant to others, no matter who they are, that they may see the your love and the hope of glory in me, that they may discover the peace they long to know in you and you alone.

Pastor John

Just to let everyone know I am not gone, but have been absent for a few days enjoying helping missionary friends from Africa get re-established for three months back in America. I am planning on writing again tomorrow. Thanks for your patience.

Pastor John

Connecting Points

Friday, January 14, 2011

Today’s Topic: Who Do You Believe God to Be?

Today’s Text: Isaiah 30:27 See, the Name of the LORD comes from afar, with burning anger and dense clouds of smoke; his lips are full of wrath, and his tongue is a consuming fire.

Henry Blackaby, in his magnificent study entitled Experiencing God, makes this statement –

When God speaks, what you do next reveals what you believe about God.

With brevity and precision that statement dissects our hearts. Here are some profound truths to think about over the weekend. May they bring initial unrest to our souls followed by the peace of God from knowing our faith has been strengthened.

• God spoke and said, Whoever calls on my Name shall be saved. Whoever believes on the One and Only Son of God shall have everlasting life. If we will confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us for those sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. So why is it that we still live under the bondage of sin, struggling with it, seeking counseling for it, and in some cases resolving to just live with it? Do we really believe God to be who He said He was and to do what He said He would do?
• God spoke and said, I have qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For I have rescued you from the dominion of darkness and brought you into the kingdom of the Son I love, in whom you have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. So why is it that we still live with such connections to the worldly kingdom? And why is it that we still struggle to qualify ourselves in the eyes of others, giving them the right to define us and approve us? Do we really believe who God is and what He said He would do?
• God spoke and said, You can do all things through Christ who gives you strength. So why is it that we still question whether or not we are ready to witness to the unsaved, or go to the mission field, or serve in the local church, or do any of the work of God to which He has called us?
• God spoke and said, See, I am coming, with burning anger and dense clouds of smoke; my lips are full of wrath, and my tongue is a consuming fire. You will sing…your hearts will rejoice…for I come to shatter your enemies and deliver you. Then why is it that we get so bent out of shape about what’s wrong with our world? What does the grumbling and complaining and critical spirits say about who we believe God to be?
• God spoke and said, Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. So why do we still worry? What does that say about who we really believe God to be?
• God spoke and said, If you have the faith of a small mustard seed, you can say to a mountain, move from here to there, and it will move. As far as I know, God has never asked anyone to move a mountain, but He has asked us to do some pretty out-of-the-ordinary things in our lives. You have heard Him speak to you about those things before. They may involve a career choice, a call to ministry, a sacrificial gift to a church, or one of a million other possibilities. The point is, you have heard Him speak to you. He gave you His direction and purpose for that time of your life. Did you obey? If not, what does that say about who you really believe God to be?

I am very deeply struggling with one thing in my life right now in this regard. In thepast I have heard God speak about our church’s ministry. Many people have. We look around and see God at work in spectacular ways. We are literally overflowing on Wednesday nights with children and youth. One class packs sixteen 3-4 year olds into an 8×10 room. We have heard God speak a vision to us for expanding our ministry. He specifically said, Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back, lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes. For you will spread out to the right and to the left. (Isaiah 54:2-3)

We have started that process. Actually we started it over 7 years ago when God spoke those words to some of us. So does our current activity as a church continue to reflect good faith in who God is and what He spoke? And do our current personal financial decisions and our sacrificial giving to the Lord reflect faith in God who spoke and said, Seek first my kingdom, and I will provide everything else you need? Are we convinced that we are moving forward according to what we believe to be true about God, or what we know we can do for ourselves? When all is said and done, will it be said of our church that God did something beyond human ability, or will we just be another church that accomplished a nice goal but the world takes no special notice of it because it was man doing it?

When God speaks, what you do next reveals what you believe about God.

Pastor John