Expect the Unexpected with God

"Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand."  -Proverbs 19:21

Have you ever considered the many unusual and unexpected things, both good and bad, that have happened in your life? It may seem like they just exploded out of nowhere, and without warning. But, did they..?

What if I were to tell you that many weren't just random occurrences. Some of them had to do with an encounter between you and God! Usually, they take place at points of crisis in our lives.

Think of them as corners that we turn along the way in our spiritual growth and development. A really good illustration of this is Moses' unexpected meeting with God at the burning bush in the Midian desert (Exodus 3:2-3). A closer look at this extraordinary confrontation can help prepare us for the "unexpected"  whenever it comes "our" way. 

To start with, we need to be clear on some things. When it comes to God, there's no such thing as the unexpected. No matter how spontaneous this encounter seems to be, there's precise planning on God's part. And, in Moses case, he was an integral component of God's plan.

We can see the "first part" of this plan come into play beginning from the time the infant Moses was set afloat on the Nile up to the time that he, in a moment of furious rage, killed an Egyptian taskmaster who was mistreating a Hebrew slave (Exodus 2:5-10; 11-15)

Although God didn't tell Moses to do this, he used the unfortunate incident to get Moses out of Egypt so that he could begin the "second part" of his preparatory period. Moses obviously required forty years of seasoning, because that's how long God allowed the evil Pharaoh to stay in power.

After the Pharaoh's death, the obstacle that had kept Moses from going back to Egypt was removed (Exodus 2:23). In the same way, God's hand is on everything that concerns his children; particularly as it pertains to his plan and purpose.

Moses never received any prior warnings or tip-offs as to what was about to happen in his life. He went from being prince of Egypt to a shepherd, which wasn't exactly a promotion in the eyes of the Egyptians at that time. 

And on this special day (the burning bush) he was at the backside of the Midian desert, at Mount Horeb, a place of extreme solitude. You imagine how unusually weird it must have seemed for Moses to come across this bush that was on fire out in the middle of nowhere, yet it never burned up!

To make it even stranger, the angel of the Lord appeared in the fire with a startling command to Moses. Nevertheless, this was the unique instrument, and location, by which God chose to manifest his presence to Moses (Exodus 3:1-4). Why this spectacular method?

Moses was about to set out on the most important mission of his life (Exodus 3:5-22). Before he could represent God to the Hebrew people, he had to receive a vision of the indescribable glory of God in his own soul. There was no time for pondering or mulling it over. God needed to keep his plan moving along.

Needless to say, Moses' life was changed as a result of this unforgettable encounter. But notice how every step along the way had a purpose. God doesn't work in our lives by chance, or rolling the dice. He has specific plans in mind for you and I, too.

The question is: "Are you ready for God to prepare you in whatever ways he deems necessary for a truly life-changing encounter?" God wants to make you into a unique vessel to use for useful and fruitful service. Don't be surprised if he's waiting just around the next corner..!

Scripture: Jeremiah 29:11; Romans 8:28; Psalm 27:14; 1 Corinthians 2:9; Isaiah 14:24 

Prayer: Dear God, though I don't know what You have planned for me down the road, continue to prepare me for whatever that may be; my heart and soul patiently wait for Your command, amen.

Have a blessed Monday!

Hailey

We Are the Body of Christ (Part 6)

"Christ's yesterday was the accomplishment of redemption,--His tomorrow is the having His Church with Himself in glory. But He is a living Christ for today."  - G.V. Wigram

In our discussion last week, we touched on our redemption. This being, of course, the redemption of our souls, the pardon of our sins, and purification from unrighteousness. This is attributed to the blood of Christ shed on the cross for sinful man (Revelation 1:5).

There was no other way. The ransom for our souls could not be paid by silver and gold as was commonly paid for human ransoms. The redemption of a soul requires much more than this. The blood of Jesus Christ is the only price of man's redemption.

The careful thought of our redemption should serve as a constant reminder and powerful motivator to holiness, and the fear of God. The apostle Paul, in his message to the Galatian churches, introduces this important doctrine to them.

They had lost sight of this great truth and had embraced other teachings that inclined to confuse, or even render it void by Judaizing teachers. This was especially aimed at  the great truth that people can be justified only by faith in the blood of Jesus.

Paul wanted to make certain that they (the body of believers) did not forget that Christ gave himself as a great sacrifice to make atonement for us; for our sins. A result of this was to rescue us from the present evil age (Galatians 1:4).

This was not only to redeem us from God's wrath, and the curse of the law, but to reclaim us from the corruption, and perverse practices and rituals which naturally oppress and shackle us (Galatians 1:3-5). There's another element to our redemption that needs to be mentioned, if only briefly.

It is imperative that the Church not be content to simply rest on their redemption by Christ. There is still much work to  be done. We must continuously strive for spotless purity, absolute perfection. In other words, perfecting holiness, not only before men, but before God, as well (2 Peter 3:14).

Our Lord will suddenly return to us, or quickly call us to him.  Are you prepared for this? We must take advantage of his gracious patience in his delay and seek peace and holiness without delay. Only the persevering and upright Christian will be the joyous Christian when this glorious day occurs.

In case you have doubts about being able to sustain yourself during this time, don't worry. We have been given provision to maintain us through our obedience in spirit and practice, by which we demonstrate our fellowship or communion with God.

Those of us who choose to follow this show that they know God, have received the Spirit of God, and have the divine image firmly stamped on their souls. We resemble each other, loving the same God, adopting the same views, and living for the same purpose (1 John 1:7).

One last point. We must never lose sight of the fact that it is in and through Christ that God is revealed to the world as the only omniscient God. He is the wisdom and power of God, or the glory through Jesus Christ.

As such, every bit of glory that passes from sinful man to God, so as to be acceptable to Him, must go through the hands of Jesus Christ. For only in him, and him alone, are we made pleasing to God (Ephesians 3:21).

And now we have arrived at a proper stopping point and need time to let everything sink in. Thank you for sharing this time with me. I look forward to meeting next time as we continue our discussion of the glorious church!

Scripture: 1 Chronicles 16:28-29; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; Romans 8:28; Colossians 1:20; 2 Corinthians 5:21

Prayer: Dear Lord, inspire us to live every day in wonder and appreciation of all that is around us, and may your love, manifested fully in Jesus, your Son, surround us this day and always, amen.

May the Lord bless,

Shawna

God's Gift of Time

"Time is given us to use in view of eternity."  - Harry Ironside

While gathering my notes for today's message I came across this poem by an anonymous author. I'd like to share it with you here. It is titled: The Clock

"The clock of life is wound but once, and no man has the power.
To tell just when that clock will stop, at late or early hour.
Now is the only time you own, live...love...toil with the will...
Place no faith into tomorrow, for the clock may then be still."

This made me think about how I perceive time and its relation to my life. Like many of us, I sometimes forget that time is a non-renewable commodity. Naively assuming that there's always tomorrow (Proverbs 27:1).

Each of us has only a limited amount of it, and once it has been used up it is gone forever. It is easy to get so busy living our lives that we rarely stop to think about this, but we should.

The Bible presents us with some good metaphors relating to the brevity of life, such as: vapor (James 4:14); a breath (Psalm 144:4); grass (Psalm 103:15-16); wind (Psalm 78:39); a shadow (1 Chronicles 29:15); water spilled on the ground (2 Samuel 14:14).

Given our pre-ordained number of days (Job 14:5), it is crucial that we use each one of them to its fullest. By this, I am not just talking about taking a world cruise, parachuting from a plane, or running with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain.

While it is true that Our Father wants us to enjoy the earthly beauty and blessings he has furnished to us, He also desires that we are aware of our heavenly obligation to Him, who provides all of this.

Therefore, we must consider the choices we make, the things we pursue, and our destination or where we are headed. That we are here is not accidental. Each one of us exists for a purpose. And that purpose is simply to glorify God (Isaiah 43:7).

Truthfully, we only have so much time to get this right. Our lives are the definitive "one-time-only" deal. Yes, we can still have fun and live life, but there has to be a place for glorifying God, too. And, this will take some commitment (Psalm 100:2–3).

We must worship God with gladness, and acknowledge and praise Him (Psalm 100:2). After all, He is our Creator and Father. This also includes living our lives in relationship and faithful service to Him (1 Samuel 12:24; John 17:4).

Others may think of this as being boring or humdrum, or a waste of time, but nothing could be further from the truth! Think of this as preparation for the greatest adventure that any one of us could ever experience here on earth (1 Corinthians 2:9).

We only know time while living here on earth, and it is fleeting. Time does not exist in eternity, which makes it even more important to use it wisely. God gave us the gift of time to see what we do with it.

As in the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30), it is up to us to make the best use of the resource (time) that we have been given. God will not tell you or force you how to manage it. The decision is yours alone. But don't wait too long. The clock is ticking....

Scripture: Mark 13:32; Colossians 4:5; Romans 13:11; Ecclesiastes 3:11; Acts 1:7

Prayer: Dear Lord, though my time here is short, my love for you is endless; help me live each and every day to its fullest in Your name, amen.

May your day be blessed,

Blake

Video - Diane Strack: Moving Forward Through Forgiveness

This week, Diane Strack, speaker, teacher, and a mentor to single moms, explains how the process of forgiveness gives people hope for the future. Something we could all stand to learn more about and put into action. Awesome!  ~Eve

I Will Walk Before the Lord...

“A man who walks with God always gets to his destination.”  - Henrietta C. Mears

Some may walk because it's the only reliable means of transportation they have. Others may walk for exercise and health reasons. Still others may walk for charitable or political causes, and the like.     

But, there is another type of "walk" that we need to concentrate on as a body of believers. This has to do with our conduct, that is, the way in which we carry ourselves, and our progress or growth as individuals.

We all have "ways," we all "walk" somehow. But there is a difference between us spiritually, and it doesn't have a thing to do with whether we actually walk or not. Instead, it has to do with walking rightly and wrongly. Or, better yet, walking to heaven and to hell.

A continuous, unceasing state of action is emphasized here. It's the universal law. Some walk after, or follow the spirit, while others pursue the flesh. Some walk in darkness, others walk in light. True religion, however, is walking with God.

I point to Psalm 116:9 (KJV), which reads: "I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living." This noble resolution is truly worthy of adopting as our own. Let's look at it's words a little more closely, beginning with, "I will walk before the Lord."

Understand that it is a walk of faith in God. Faith in the heart is always connected with light in the mind. The exercise of faith, suggests the possession of knowledge. There must be faith in the being, character, promise, and covenant of God, and in His Son.

It is a walk of communion (affinity) with God. A coming together must exist before communion can be enjoyed. It is faith that joins us to God. You must walk with him not only in public rites and ceremonies, but privately, as well.

It's also, both, a walk of dependence and a walk of devotedness to God. It includes a surrender of the heart, the devotion of the soul, and the consecration of the life; and implies activity, and progression. Now, where is the full impact of all of this best experienced?

The last part of the Psalm tells us, "in the land of the living."  It's here, and only here,on this earth that the ordinances (mandates) of religion are to be enjoyed. There are no directives to follow once we are in the grave. Nor are there any to follow in hell. All who are there are beyond the reach of mercy.

In fact, there aren't any in heaven either. There isn't any reason for them because everyone there has received the end of their faith. Sadly, those who will not know God here in the riches of his grace, shall know him afterwards in the terrors of his justice.

In closing, where is your "walk" taking you? Your walk here presently, can affect you eternally. Here, and only here, grace is in abundant supply. Here, and only here, hope always flashes to light up the impenetrable darkness. Therefore, walk, but walk faithfully.

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:7; Deuteronomy 5:33; Micah 6:8; Ephesians 2:10; Colossians 2:6

Prayer: Dear God, you have delivered my soul from death, and my feet from falling, I pray that I may walk before You in the light of life always, amen.

God be with you always,

Kate

His Grace to Us

"And as grace is free, so is it sure. Nothing can change, or alter, or turn away sovereign grace." - Alexander Whyte

As we read through Scripture we run across a lot of different words or terms that we might not be clear on. Some of the most commonly used terms are often just taken at face value because we don't, for whatever reason, really understand them.

So, I thought it might be helpful to examine one of these words. The word I have chosen is: "grace." You have to admit, it's a good one! The word grace appears at least 170 times in the King James Bible (131 times in the NIV Bible).

Let's start with "what is grace?" Grace is: God's good will and free, unmerited (undeserved) favor; the unmerited goodness of God shown to fallen man; free and eternal love and favor of God, the source of all the benefits we receive from Him.

It is: the moral attitude which God is pleased to accept toward man; unbought love, undeserved mercy; and the child of Love and the parent of Mercy. There isn't a word in the Bible that is more expressive of the true character of God.

Also, there isn't another word in the entire Gospel of greater importance, than the grace of God. We can look at free grace as "everything for nothing." Grace truly is the keynote of the Bible. Now, let's have a look at what it means for you and I.

There's no doubt that we all need grace (Romans 7:21-23). Every day of our lives sin walks lockstep right along side of us. Without God's grace we'd be in bad shape. Thankfully, grace is free, plentiful, and powerful for our every need (Philippians 4:19; Ephesians 4:7; Acts 20: 32).

Where do we get grace? We receive grace from one source, and that is from God through Christ (2 Corinthians 9:8; John 1:17). Who is grace given to? It's given to: those who love Christ (Ephesians 6:24); who have faith (Romans 5 1, 2); and are humble (1 Peter 5:5).

Once we have received grace, we are: justified (Romans 3:24); regenerated (1 Corinthians 15:10) and strengthened (2 Timothy 2:1) by it. And through it we have: the gift of Christ (Hebrews 2:9); salvation (Titus 2:11); forgiveness (Ephesians 1:7, 8); and joy (Acts 11:23).

I understand that I'm not perfect. But, I also understand that God's grace is proof that he knows I'm not perfect. Max Lucado summed grace up nicely, saying, "The meaning of life. The wasted years of life. The poor choices of life. God answers the mess of life with one word: 'grace.' " Amen!

Scripture: Ephesians 2:8; Romans 3:24; 2 Peter 3:18; Acts 15:11; Galatians 1:15

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for paying the penalty for my sins; and for never turning your back on me. Thank you for your grace and mercy, amen.

Have a blessed Monday!

Hailey

We Are the Body of Christ (Part 5)

"Sanctification makes us pure in heart."  - William J. Seymour

Last time, we started to talk about Jesus, and the sanctification and cleansing of his church. Of course, we are not talking about the church building, but rather, the church body which consists of all who believe and trust in him.

Just to make sure we're on the same page before continuing, we're aware that Jesus is the world's Savior; meaning, he died for all of us.  He was the atoning sacrifice for our sins, obtaining a pardon for our sins.

However, it is important to mention that in order to reap the full benefits of this pardon, we must have faith in Christ, obey his command, and be baptized. Without these, there is no promise of salvation.

As mentioned, sanctification and cleansing play an important part in Jesus' church body. Sinners, such as you and I, are represented in the Scriptures as defiled or polluted by sin. In Acts 22:16 the apostle Paul stresses to "be baptized and wash away your sins."

Baptism is symbolic of the washing away of sins. This is not to suggest that an external cleansing is enough to purify the soul, but it is a divinely appointed precept that expresses a washing away of sins; a purification of the heart (Hebrews 10:22).

Also, if you notice, at the end of Acts 22:16 there is a "calling on the name of the Lord." This is critical not only for sanctification, but pardon, as well. In fact, the calling on the name of the Lord should be connected with the ordinance of baptism.

That mandate was symbolic of a purifying that only the Lord could produce. It's fitting that the rite of baptism should be accompanied with exceptional prayer. An individual who is baptized should, by all means, make the occasion a special and solemn religious exercise.

However, always be mindful that the external ceremony means nothing without the pardoning mercy of God (Romans 10:13). Naturally, we cannot talk about sanctifying and cleansing without mentioning redemption.

What is the only price of man's redemption? It is the blood of Jesus Christ. Our redemption is undeniable and real, not symbolic. You and I are bought with a price that is equal to the purchase.

It is the precious blood of Christ, an innocent person, an unblemished lamb whom the paschal lamb served as; the Son of God. Therefore we say it is the blood of God (Acts 20:28).

Our redemption was not merely an after-thought with God, it was a costly ransom. Thus, the appeal for a holy life is enforced by considering the great cost of our redemption and the great hope which is revealed before us.

The redemption of the soul, with the pardon of sins, and purification from unrighteousness, is, as is clearly evident throughout the New Testament, attributed to the blood of Christ shed on the cross for man (Revelation 1:5).

I feel that this would make a nice spot to break until we meet next time. There is so much more to discuss regarding Jesus Christ and his glorious Church. And, I hope that you will join me again. Until then, love, peace, and happiness to all of you!

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:23; John 17:17; Philippians 1:6; Acts 26:18; Hebrews 9:14

Prayer: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, amen

May the Lord bless,

Shawna