We have talked about God's Promises are God's Destinations for us. We talked about God Set our Destinations in our future. We talked about His ability to get us from point A to point be. Now, we need to talk about us setting His destinations in our hearts and minds.
First, you have to find a promise. Let's take Phil 4:13-I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. It might not sound like it, but this is a God Destination. Even though you might be weak, your faith might not be what it should be and especially if it just doesn't look like it. God spoke this promise thru a child of his that lived it every day of his life. Every where he went it never looked like Paul was going to have an easy time of it. Yet, he held to the promise. He firmly believed that if God gave him a job to do that God would give him the ability to do it. If God allowed an obstacle to come in his path, he believed that God was the One who would do something about it.
Set the answer in front of you. You might not be able to see it right now, but as you walk with God, He will give you the strength, ability, and knowledge you need AS you go through each day. I can honestly say that I am stronger now than I was last week. His presence is more vibrant within me than it was last month. I have more hope today than I had last year. Why? I kept believing that I could do what God wanted me to do and I walk with Him daily.
How about Phil 4:19-But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. We have some pressing needs right now that I can't physically see how they can be met. Just about everyone I know has pretty much the same problem. Times are tough for everyone. However, God is not just God of the good times, He is still God in the bad times. God has set the blessing in our future, the same way He set the resurrection power in Jesus' future. Jesus was able to walk through some mighty rough times in His ministry because He knew His Father had a specific time set aside for His miracle.
Do I know specifically WHAT God is going to do? No, but I'm not the one who gave the promise. I'm responsible for believing. God is the one responsible for answering. And He is faithful my friends.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
God's Promises/Destinations Are Set
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:2
When God promises something, it is His destination for us. It is a time and a place and an event that he destines for us in the future. He has the pathway mapped out for us, He has the rest stops for us, He has the filling stations prepared for us and He has already prepared the final destination for us. Our biggest job is not trying to figure out how, or why doesn't it look like it, or when will we get there.
We get bogged down in those things and lose our focus on His destination for us. Abraham and Sarah did. One day Sarah came to Abraham and convinced him that she had figured it out. We know the story and know that she was terribly wrong. She created a set of circumstances that still haunts the children of Israel today. In all her 'figuring out' about God's will for their lives, she never stopped to ask God if that was the right direction for them to go. One important thing that we need to grasp. If we can figure it out, then it probably isn't God's will for us.
For [as] the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Isaiah 55:9
We will get to God's destination faster if we let Him drive. After all, it is His plan. He has already figured it out. He already knows the when and the how. Why don't we be content and sit in the back seat, put on a good worship CD, crank the volume and pay absolutely no attention to what anybody else says? We will get there faster and without any jangled nerves.
We have to be like Jesus. He SET His Father's promise in His own cruise control and let the Father organize the trip. His main focus was staying in an up-to-date relationship with His Father.
Before we go any further with this thought, let's get this point nailed down. Get it out of your head that the cross was Jesus' destination. The cross was just a stinky town. I know that we sing a lot about it and preachers preach a lot about it and rightly so. The preaching of the cross is necessary. But, it was not His destination. His destination was to destroy the works of the devil, 1 John 3:8.
Hebrews 12:2 says that Jesus endured the cross. It wasn't His destination. It was His stinky town. It was one of those things He had to go THROUGH not build His life around. The joy that was set before Him was not the beatings, the hate, the bigotry, the mocking, or the doubt of His closest friends. Does any of that sound familiar to you? Is that what you're going through right now? Those of us that are praying for souls and believing God for His destinations will go through stinky towns with those names on them. Amen?
Just like Jesus, let's fellowship with the driver of our vehicle. That is, unless it's you that's doing the driving. Set your heart on His promise/destination and wait patiently on the Lord (Ps 40:1). Let us rejoice in the Lord always (Phil 4:4). And, in every thing give Him thanks (1 Thess 5:18). And, what we don't enjoy in life, just endure until we get to His destination.
Friday, December 30, 2011
Java Evangelism
Gratefully Christmas passed without incident in Ambon. There were many police and soldiers scattered throughout the city with ample firepower. But, we know the truth of God's word paraphrased by Eugene Petereson in the Message, "If GOD doesn't guard the city, the night watchman might as well nap." (Psalm 127:1b). Please rejoice with us that Ambon has escaped additional pain. It does seem that some forces want to create chaos here again. From limited news reports, they are also apparently working again in Poso where there was much trouble about the time of the massive Maluku conflict (1999-2004). Thank you for praying.
Pray with us as we enter 2012 that calm streets will help produce hearts that are filled with the peace that only the Prince of Peace can bring.
Blessings,
Dennis and Lynn
Riding Through Stinky Town
When I was pastoring in Tennessee, we would make trips to Florida to see my relatives on special occasions. The children were small and we planned our trips to be in the middle of the night sometimes so that they could sleep through the majority of the long drive. As you can imagine it kept down a lot of "Are we there, yet." and "How much longer?"
It did settle THAT problem. However, it didn't settle the problem of Stinky Town. When we got closer to the pulp mills, we would have to ride through miles of a strong odor. It would make riding unpleasant for a while. You certainly couldn't hold your breath for the thirty minutes or so that you had to endure.
So it is with God's Promises/God's Destinations. His ways being much higher than our ways doesn't mean that there won't be a Stinky Town on the way to His Destination. Let's take David for just one example. When God declared through Samuel that David would be the next king of Israel, not a whole lot immediately changed. His brothers still treated him like a punk. When God brought him to the battle where he killed Goliath, his brothers talked about his "naughtiness" and told him to go back and feed the sheep. Also, the more that David fought valiantly for King Saul, the more he was hated by him. Eventually he had to run away in fear of his own life. Yet, he stayed patient before the Lord as he rode through one stinky town after another. He trusted God to get him from point A to point B just like said He would. God never told him about the stinky towns, neither how bad they were nor how many they would be.
It did settle THAT problem. However, it didn't settle the problem of Stinky Town. When we got closer to the pulp mills, we would have to ride through miles of a strong odor. It would make riding unpleasant for a while. You certainly couldn't hold your breath for the thirty minutes or so that you had to endure.
So it is with God's Promises/God's Destinations. His ways being much higher than our ways doesn't mean that there won't be a Stinky Town on the way to His Destination. Let's take David for just one example. When God declared through Samuel that David would be the next king of Israel, not a whole lot immediately changed. His brothers still treated him like a punk. When God brought him to the battle where he killed Goliath, his brothers talked about his "naughtiness" and told him to go back and feed the sheep. Also, the more that David fought valiantly for King Saul, the more he was hated by him. Eventually he had to run away in fear of his own life. Yet, he stayed patient before the Lord as he rode through one stinky town after another. He trusted God to get him from point A to point B just like said He would. God never told him about the stinky towns, neither how bad they were nor how many they would be.
AND, GOD WAS FAITHFUL TO HIS WORD
Matt 10:22-- but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
There was a time, in a cave, when he had Saul trapped. His men encouraged him to kill Saul. His men believed that God had put Saul in David's hands. David's relationship with God taught him to wait. God had His better way of getting to the destination He had promised. David could have killed him, but what would people say about him? Big David. Killed the king while he slept. No. David endured until God worked out His will in his life. He taught that band of miscreants that day how to trust God. Through David's ability to ride through several stinky towns with his eyes focused on God, God was able to turn them into mighty men of valor.
What a challenge for us that call ourselves leaders today. How are we affecting the men that we are around? Are we teaching them to always live in stinky town by following our natural reactions? Or, are we teaching them to ride the High way (highway) THROUGH stinky town and on to the promises of God?
Thursday, December 29, 2011
God's Promises/God's Destinations by God's Designs
Every one of God's promises for us is His destination for our lives. And, He is fully capable of getting us there no matter what the situation is or might become. Take salvation, for instance. When you accept Jesus as your Savour, your future destination is Heaven. It makes no difference what the nations do, how somebody mistreats you, what anybody thinks about you, who believes it or doesn't believe it. God WILL take you to Heaven. That is guaranteed. We all know it. The question is settled. We know that all that is necessary to make it to Heaven is to get saved and stay saved. The rest, we have been taught, is left up to God.
The greatest majority of the readers of this blog have children. I am sure that we have all had the same questions posed to us as we take our children on a journey. "Are we there yet? When will we get there yet? Why not?" Younger children have a difficult time trying to cope with mileage and hours. On the other hand, we wise and intelligent adults know HOW to get there, HOW long it will take as well as WHICH DIRECTION we need to be going in. It would relax a lot of nerves if we could get our children to understand the concept and just chill out, take a nap or wait until we get there.
Jesus said that we need to become like little children if we wanted to enter the kingdom of Heaven. Notice He said "little" children. We actually should be like children who have no concept of time and mileage. Our needs met according to His riches in glory is a destination. Many times it is not the 'right now,' is it? We want to know when will our sicknesses be gone. When will we be over it? Every promise of God is a destination that God is bound by His Word to get us to. He is the One who knows when we will be there. We need to chill out, take a nap or wait until we get there.
But, because we are not there yet, we tend to moan and groan and look on the negative side of every thing. When we are on a trip, we would love for our children just to sit back and enjoy the ride. It would be wonderful for them to talk to each other, talk to us, play games or sing. Our Heavenly Father is the same way. He would rather talk to us instead of trying to explain to us why it is taking so long to answer our prayer. We wouldn't understand if He were to try to tell us. Remember, the last blog in Isaiah? His ways are higher than ours and His thoughts (or plans) are higher than ours. It is no wonder why He doesn't try to explain them to us. We still wouldn't understand and still ask, "Are we there, yet."
Trust the Father. He has a specific plan for you. The journey to His promised destination will go by faster and easier when we enjoy Him and make up our minds to enjoy the ride.
The greatest majority of the readers of this blog have children. I am sure that we have all had the same questions posed to us as we take our children on a journey. "Are we there yet? When will we get there yet? Why not?" Younger children have a difficult time trying to cope with mileage and hours. On the other hand, we wise and intelligent adults know HOW to get there, HOW long it will take as well as WHICH DIRECTION we need to be going in. It would relax a lot of nerves if we could get our children to understand the concept and just chill out, take a nap or wait until we get there.
Jesus said that we need to become like little children if we wanted to enter the kingdom of Heaven. Notice He said "little" children. We actually should be like children who have no concept of time and mileage. Our needs met according to His riches in glory is a destination. Many times it is not the 'right now,' is it? We want to know when will our sicknesses be gone. When will we be over it? Every promise of God is a destination that God is bound by His Word to get us to. He is the One who knows when we will be there. We need to chill out, take a nap or wait until we get there.
But, because we are not there yet, we tend to moan and groan and look on the negative side of every thing. When we are on a trip, we would love for our children just to sit back and enjoy the ride. It would be wonderful for them to talk to each other, talk to us, play games or sing. Our Heavenly Father is the same way. He would rather talk to us instead of trying to explain to us why it is taking so long to answer our prayer. We wouldn't understand if He were to try to tell us. Remember, the last blog in Isaiah? His ways are higher than ours and His thoughts (or plans) are higher than ours. It is no wonder why He doesn't try to explain them to us. We still wouldn't understand and still ask, "Are we there, yet."
Trust the Father. He has a specific plan for you. The journey to His promised destination will go by faster and easier when we enjoy Him and make up our minds to enjoy the ride.
God's Promises are God's Destinations
Just a few thoughts. When God speaks, it's not just empty words. There is always actions that go along with them. When God speaks, it's because God has a plan. Let's take Isaiah 55:8--My thoughts are not your thoughts. In verse nine, He says that His thoughts are much higher than ours. The Hebrew word for thoughts here means something devised or planned. When God speaks, He has a plan that is greater than our plan.
When He told Samuel to anoint David to be the next king over Israel, it looked like one of the dumbest things that God could have said. Surely, everybody there at the announcement had a great opportunity to feel that the prophet Samuel had flipped his wig.
However, God's plan, God's Word, God's Wisdom did not let the 'right now' change His mind. When Samuel gave a human voice to what He knew God has spoken to him, future events were engraved in stone. God had a thought/plan and God had a way of getting from point A to point B without man's help. He fully intended to carry out His word. All He needed was for David to be obedient, day by day. All He needed was for David to walk with Him day by day. All he needed was for David to trust, love, rejoice in and praise Him day by day.
When He told Samuel to anoint David to be the next king over Israel, it looked like one of the dumbest things that God could have said. Surely, everybody there at the announcement had a great opportunity to feel that the prophet Samuel had flipped his wig.
However, God's plan, God's Word, God's Wisdom did not let the 'right now' change His mind. When Samuel gave a human voice to what He knew God has spoken to him, future events were engraved in stone. God had a thought/plan and God had a way of getting from point A to point B without man's help. He fully intended to carry out His word. All He needed was for David to be obedient, day by day. All He needed was for David to walk with Him day by day. All he needed was for David to trust, love, rejoice in and praise Him day by day.
GOD WOULD TAKE CARE OF THE REST.
David did, indeed, go through many 'valleys of the shadows of death' but he learned to 'fear no evil.'
Every promise in the Word of God is the same. There is a fully thought out path that God will bring us on to get us from point A to point B. What do we need to do? Be available. Walk with Him. Rejoice in Him. Trust Him. Everything else that God needs to do His Word has already been put in place.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Peace on Earth and Good Will Toward Men
Dear Readers,
I trust that all of you will have a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year. This blog travels the globe and my solemn prayer is that we would not only be joined by the internet, but that we would mainly be joined by the love of Jesus Christ. Let's hold each other up before the Father in prayer for an unprecedented outpouring of His presence in all that we do. Know that I love you very much and pray for my readers daily.
Below is an e-mail update from one of my newest friends who are missionairies through Savannah Christian Church.
Henry
December 2011
MERRY CHRISTMAS
from Ambon
Dear Friends and Partners!
We are quite accustomed to having Christmas without winter. Winter never makes it to Indonesia! We stopped dreaming of white Christmases a long time ago. In Java and in Sulawesi we did have wet weather, and therefore cooler days most of December. In Ambon, the dry season lingers and it is hot. We are in the Southern Hemisphere, so this is the peak of summer, I guess. In Lynn's words, "It is a bit hard for us to have the Christmas Spirit when it is so hot." But then honesty compels us to admit that last Christmas we were complaining about the cold, as we shivered on the frozen sands of Tybee Beach, Georgia.
Whether the weather is unusually hot or cold, it is a great privilege to rejoice, "For unto us, a Savior is born!" Praise be unto to Him.
We are also blessed to have dear friends like you who encourage us, pray for us, and stand by us in our efforts to make Jesus known where so few care about Him any time of year!
Looking back on 2011. We returned from a good time of furlough in the US in March; traveled extensively to visit workers in Sumatra, Sulawesi, and Java into early May. Then we moved to Ambon where we have found a house; sought out ministry openings; enjoyed family, including a new granddaugher (number 5); and watched as the fragile peace of the city has once again unraveled at the instigation of people who seem to have their own private agendas.
We are excited about mobilizing for ministry to unevangelized Muslim peoples here in Ambon, the province of Maluku, and beyond. We have found some people who share our heart. A prayer ministry is taking shape. Further training courses are planned. A farm project is being seriously studied. A children's English program is planned. We have a long list of other things we'd like to try, as the Lord opens doors. These include an English language worship time, and some Kingdom Business efforts.
2011 has not been free of disappointments. We have mentioned the engineered clashes across religious lines here in Ambon. Elsewhere some workers have proven unfaithful and have abandoned their professed callings. Worse yet some of them have even been deceitful in the process. We continue to pray for God's work in their lives! We are trusting HIs Spirit to accomplish His work.
We are encouraged by promising breakthroughs on one of the islands of Mentawai. After a few months of praying and searching, and, in Lynn's words, feeling too much like retired folk (since the schedule was not as full as we are accustomed to) we now see many pieces falling into place for a promising ministry here in Ambon. But, our greatest cause of rejoicing has been the team among the Bees. Even though they suffered the loss of one family, they have been blessed by what I think I can confidently call the greatest harvest in the modern history of mission work among the Bees. A real cause for rejoicing is the number of Bee converts who have been involved in bringing other Bees to Jesus. Developments like that do old hearts good.
May your Christmas be joyous for all the right reasons, and May 2012 give you abundant opportunities to serve and praise Him!
Selamat Hari Natal!
Dennis and Lynn
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
The Kickbutt-er and the Kickbutt-ee
Several times in my blogs, I have made reference to Gen 3:15. In my last blog I talked about God 'savouring' His statement down through the ages. In the light of the title of this blog, it was the Kickbutt-er making a promise to the kickbutt-ee. Yes, I know I have a different way of putting things but is that what eventually happened. To think of this promise and use some of the common language of the day puts a different slant on this story and the stories of those who have held on to the promises of God. Walk with me and indulge me for a few moments.
Joseph developed a good spirit after he was sold into slavery, lied about and wound up in prison. He kept a good attitude because he earnestly believed the promises of God that had been handed down from Abraham to Isaac and to his father, Jacob. He knew that the Kickbutt-er would one day step in and take care of the kickbutt-ee (s). His faith that God would take care of business left him free to develop a Godly attitude that won him the favor of all that were around him. When the Kickbutt-er stepped in, he got a jim-dandy-peachy-keen promotion and the pretty girl to marry, too.
The Kickbutt-er promised the shepherd boy, David, that he would be king. David trusted the Kickbutt-er to do what He said even though he faced a giant and had to run from an angry king. A couple of times, David had the opportunity to kill his enemy. His cohorts argued with him to take advantage of the situation. However, David held to the fact there was a Kickbutt-er that was fully able to take care of the kickbutt-ee in His own time.
I was searching the Internet one day and came to a place that had a copy of a letter that Pilate had sent to Caesar about the trial and crucifixion of Jesus. Pilate related that when he pressed Jesus about testifying by saying that he had the power to free Jesus, that Jesus looked at him eye-to-eye. He stated that when Jesus said that Pilate had no power over Him except what His father let him have, he was completely unnerved by Jesus' calm. To use the terminology of this blog, Jesus asserted that He was on the side of the Kickbutt-er and that the Kickbutt-er was going to take care of business with the kickbutt-ee. Read it for yourself in John 19:11.
When Jesus should have been shaken, He became the calm and collected-----shaker. How many times are we the---shaken--- by the circumstances we face? Or, by the people who come against us? Or by what we read in the newspaper or watch on TV. Christians let our faith rise again in the eternal Word of the Almighty God. Let's quit being the "shaken" and opt out by being the cool, calm, and collected "shakers" of our enemies. Let's hold fast to the promises and wait on the Kickbutt-er. Look the kickbutt-ee calmly in the face today and say, "You have NO power over me but what my Father allowed you to have." In my last blog, Jesus, in essence was trying to get that across to Peter. He was not worried about His death. The Kickbutt-er was with Him and He was destined to go to where the kickbutt-ee was and watch His Father take care of business.
Joseph developed a good spirit after he was sold into slavery, lied about and wound up in prison. He kept a good attitude because he earnestly believed the promises of God that had been handed down from Abraham to Isaac and to his father, Jacob. He knew that the Kickbutt-er would one day step in and take care of the kickbutt-ee (s). His faith that God would take care of business left him free to develop a Godly attitude that won him the favor of all that were around him. When the Kickbutt-er stepped in, he got a jim-dandy-peachy-keen promotion and the pretty girl to marry, too.
The Kickbutt-er promised the shepherd boy, David, that he would be king. David trusted the Kickbutt-er to do what He said even though he faced a giant and had to run from an angry king. A couple of times, David had the opportunity to kill his enemy. His cohorts argued with him to take advantage of the situation. However, David held to the fact there was a Kickbutt-er that was fully able to take care of the kickbutt-ee in His own time.
I was searching the Internet one day and came to a place that had a copy of a letter that Pilate had sent to Caesar about the trial and crucifixion of Jesus. Pilate related that when he pressed Jesus about testifying by saying that he had the power to free Jesus, that Jesus looked at him eye-to-eye. He stated that when Jesus said that Pilate had no power over Him except what His father let him have, he was completely unnerved by Jesus' calm. To use the terminology of this blog, Jesus asserted that He was on the side of the Kickbutt-er and that the Kickbutt-er was going to take care of business with the kickbutt-ee. Read it for yourself in John 19:11.
When Jesus should have been shaken, He became the calm and collected-----shaker. How many times are we the---shaken--- by the circumstances we face? Or, by the people who come against us? Or by what we read in the newspaper or watch on TV. Christians let our faith rise again in the eternal Word of the Almighty God. Let's quit being the "shaken" and opt out by being the cool, calm, and collected "shakers" of our enemies. Let's hold fast to the promises and wait on the Kickbutt-er. Look the kickbutt-ee calmly in the face today and say, "You have NO power over me but what my Father allowed you to have." In my last blog, Jesus, in essence was trying to get that across to Peter. He was not worried about His death. The Kickbutt-er was with Him and He was destined to go to where the kickbutt-ee was and watch His Father take care of business.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Savour The Things of God
Mt 16:23--But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.
You and I, both, have heard this message preached many times. All of a sudden, it popped into my spirit today while I was meditating on the Lord as I worked. The Greek word for 'savourest' in this passage of scripture actually means to have understanding or to feel and to think. We'll all agree that Peter and Jesus were not understanding the Word of God the same way. Jesus knew that His death on the cross was just the next step in destroying the power of the enemy. Peter was looking at His impending death as the end of miracles. We've heard this preached many times, so I won't go there.
God brought something different into my spirit that changed the way I looked at things. When we think about the English word 'savour,' we generally use it in relationship to food. We think of savouring a bite of juicy, well-cooked steak. You know, the kind that you do not want to swallow immediately but hold in your mouth until all of it's good flavor is gone. And, we can think of dessert the same way. Whether it's peach cobbler, Reeses Pieces Blizzard or German Chocolate Cake, we 'savour' the taste. We let the taste linger. Then again, BEFORE we ever get to the table, we meditate on what we are about to eat and we can almost taste the flavor in our senses hours before it is even cooked.
With that in mind, what did Jesus mean when he told Peter that he did not 'savour' the things of God? Let's also ask the question--What was God's thing? What was it God understood? What was it God felt? What was it that God thought? To answer that question, we have to go back to Genesis 3:15. The devil had tempted Eve and Adam strong enough to cause them to sin and turn all of the authority of the earth over to him. When they realized it, they were afraid, they were hurt and they realized that they had done something wrong that they could not undo. They realized that they had brought a curse to the entire world.
God knew that, too. He had watched the whole process. He knew their feelings. He knew each step the enemy took. He knew every time Adam and Eve's defenses crumbled. God was not surprised that they fell for it. He was hurt because his love-child was hurt. He grieved because they grieved.
And, He savoured something that they could not savour at the time. He savoured Gen 3:15. He told the devil that the seed of the woman he deceived would bruise his head. He understood and He wanted the devil to understand that with those words, the day of His vengeance was created. An irrevocable promise was made that God understood, He thought, He felt and He savoured. He kept Abimalech from taking Abraham's wife, Sarah, because of what He savoured. He kept His hand on Joseph as he was sold into slavery and then put in prison. He brought him out with a mighty miracle because He savoured the promise. He kept His hand on Moses so he could lead the children of Israel out of bondage because He savoured the promise. He raised up David as king even though Saul sought his life because He savoured the day that His Son would get the opportunity to go to hell and destroy every evil plan that the devil had against the blood-bought saints.
It would behoove us to quit messing around with church and savour the things of God. Let our minds run only on the thought of God bringing deliverance to us. Quit thinking about how your enemies lord over you. Quit thinking doubt and defeat. From the very moment sin entered this world, God's heart and soul and mind was set on bringing about divine deliverance. How would it feel to be free from pain? Think about it and savour it. How would it feel to be free from debt? Think about it and savour it. How would it feel when your loved ones accept Christ as their Saviour? Think about it and savour it.
Jesus was saying to Peter, "You are savouring defeat, just like always. My Father has been savouring the destruction of this devil for 4,000 years. I am more than ready to go through whatever I have to. I am ready to bring salvation." Savouring deliverance----the longing for revival---will create in you a stamina that can't be stopped. You'll hunger and thirst for the things of God like never before. You will patiently endure what you have to with a soul-stirring knowledge that God's heart is to bring you out. Savour the things of God.
You and I, both, have heard this message preached many times. All of a sudden, it popped into my spirit today while I was meditating on the Lord as I worked. The Greek word for 'savourest' in this passage of scripture actually means to have understanding or to feel and to think. We'll all agree that Peter and Jesus were not understanding the Word of God the same way. Jesus knew that His death on the cross was just the next step in destroying the power of the enemy. Peter was looking at His impending death as the end of miracles. We've heard this preached many times, so I won't go there.
God brought something different into my spirit that changed the way I looked at things. When we think about the English word 'savour,' we generally use it in relationship to food. We think of savouring a bite of juicy, well-cooked steak. You know, the kind that you do not want to swallow immediately but hold in your mouth until all of it's good flavor is gone. And, we can think of dessert the same way. Whether it's peach cobbler, Reeses Pieces Blizzard or German Chocolate Cake, we 'savour' the taste. We let the taste linger. Then again, BEFORE we ever get to the table, we meditate on what we are about to eat and we can almost taste the flavor in our senses hours before it is even cooked.
With that in mind, what did Jesus mean when he told Peter that he did not 'savour' the things of God? Let's also ask the question--What was God's thing? What was it God understood? What was it God felt? What was it that God thought? To answer that question, we have to go back to Genesis 3:15. The devil had tempted Eve and Adam strong enough to cause them to sin and turn all of the authority of the earth over to him. When they realized it, they were afraid, they were hurt and they realized that they had done something wrong that they could not undo. They realized that they had brought a curse to the entire world.
God knew that, too. He had watched the whole process. He knew their feelings. He knew each step the enemy took. He knew every time Adam and Eve's defenses crumbled. God was not surprised that they fell for it. He was hurt because his love-child was hurt. He grieved because they grieved.
And, He savoured something that they could not savour at the time. He savoured Gen 3:15. He told the devil that the seed of the woman he deceived would bruise his head. He understood and He wanted the devil to understand that with those words, the day of His vengeance was created. An irrevocable promise was made that God understood, He thought, He felt and He savoured. He kept Abimalech from taking Abraham's wife, Sarah, because of what He savoured. He kept His hand on Joseph as he was sold into slavery and then put in prison. He brought him out with a mighty miracle because He savoured the promise. He kept His hand on Moses so he could lead the children of Israel out of bondage because He savoured the promise. He raised up David as king even though Saul sought his life because He savoured the day that His Son would get the opportunity to go to hell and destroy every evil plan that the devil had against the blood-bought saints.
It would behoove us to quit messing around with church and savour the things of God. Let our minds run only on the thought of God bringing deliverance to us. Quit thinking about how your enemies lord over you. Quit thinking doubt and defeat. From the very moment sin entered this world, God's heart and soul and mind was set on bringing about divine deliverance. How would it feel to be free from pain? Think about it and savour it. How would it feel to be free from debt? Think about it and savour it. How would it feel when your loved ones accept Christ as their Saviour? Think about it and savour it.
Jesus was saying to Peter, "You are savouring defeat, just like always. My Father has been savouring the destruction of this devil for 4,000 years. I am more than ready to go through whatever I have to. I am ready to bring salvation." Savouring deliverance----the longing for revival---will create in you a stamina that can't be stopped. You'll hunger and thirst for the things of God like never before. You will patiently endure what you have to with a soul-stirring knowledge that God's heart is to bring you out. Savour the things of God.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Weapons Happen But They Can't Prosper
Is. 54:17--No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper;
Sometimes this promise is quite hard for us to understand. Sometimes it seems like every time we turn around, something else is going wrong. Sometimes it seems like our loved ones have turned against us, also. Sometimes the pain from the weapon seems like it is more than we can bear. And, sometimes it seems like that sometime is going to last forever.
Jesus faced the enemy's weapons. The religious rulers of the day never accepted Him. They did every thing within their power to stop Him. As you know, they even formed a plan to kill Him. The plan worked, too. They even planned on beating Him, and spitting on Him and embarrassing Him to the utmost. That plan worked, too. Out of all the good that He did, people still turned their backs on Him.
However, their weapons didn't prosper. Did they hurt? You bet. Did they embarrass Him? Sure. Did He get discouraged? Wouldn't you? He wept over Jerusalem's unwillingness to come to Him, didn't He? However, Jesus went on despite all of this. He knew that weapons would come but they would not prosper. His Father was greater than any weapon that satan has. He knew that His Father's Word carried the weight of all the power of the universe. He knew that His Father would not stop until He completed all of His Word. And, when His Father was finished, the glory was far more than the pain.
We've talked about Joseph, one of the twelve sons of Jacob. Did it hurt him that his brothers sold him into slavery? Yep. How do you think he felt when Potiphar's wife lied about him? How lonely do you think it got in the jail? But, Joseph kept a good spirit. He believed that God's Word was true. If I remember correctly, he got out of that jail, was made vice-president of the land, and married Pharaoh's daughter. He lived in a kingly house, ate kingly food, wore kingly clothes and had servants that waited on him hand and foot. He had two adorable sons. Finally, he was reunited with his family. I would say that he got an exceeding great reward for it.
God is not the god of the hurt. He is the God of the blessing. Weapons ARE formed against us and they will be used on us. But, those weapons will not prosper in continuing to bring us pain and suffering if we hold our faith steady in the Word of God. God WILL turn things around and bring His promised blessings upon us. Jesus' great key to overwhelming victory was in His unfailing faith in the Word of God. OOOOPS! A lot of people in His day knew a lot about the Word of God. Jesus used the great multiplier. He developed a strong and loving relationship with His Father, the Author of the Word that everybody else knew.
That Saints, is the difference between the overcomers and just everyday believers. You are the only one that can make a difference in your life. I am sure that if you are reading this, you believe the Word. The BIG difference will come when you develop a vibrant and passionate love affair with your Heavenly Father. He is the Great Multiplier. As your love affair with Him grows, the reality of the blessings will begin to materialize. The weapons that were formed against you will fade into oblivion because of the brilliance of His glory that will be manifested to you.
Sometimes this promise is quite hard for us to understand. Sometimes it seems like every time we turn around, something else is going wrong. Sometimes it seems like our loved ones have turned against us, also. Sometimes the pain from the weapon seems like it is more than we can bear. And, sometimes it seems like that sometime is going to last forever.
Jesus faced the enemy's weapons. The religious rulers of the day never accepted Him. They did every thing within their power to stop Him. As you know, they even formed a plan to kill Him. The plan worked, too. They even planned on beating Him, and spitting on Him and embarrassing Him to the utmost. That plan worked, too. Out of all the good that He did, people still turned their backs on Him.
However, their weapons didn't prosper. Did they hurt? You bet. Did they embarrass Him? Sure. Did He get discouraged? Wouldn't you? He wept over Jerusalem's unwillingness to come to Him, didn't He? However, Jesus went on despite all of this. He knew that weapons would come but they would not prosper. His Father was greater than any weapon that satan has. He knew that His Father's Word carried the weight of all the power of the universe. He knew that His Father would not stop until He completed all of His Word. And, when His Father was finished, the glory was far more than the pain.
We've talked about Joseph, one of the twelve sons of Jacob. Did it hurt him that his brothers sold him into slavery? Yep. How do you think he felt when Potiphar's wife lied about him? How lonely do you think it got in the jail? But, Joseph kept a good spirit. He believed that God's Word was true. If I remember correctly, he got out of that jail, was made vice-president of the land, and married Pharaoh's daughter. He lived in a kingly house, ate kingly food, wore kingly clothes and had servants that waited on him hand and foot. He had two adorable sons. Finally, he was reunited with his family. I would say that he got an exceeding great reward for it.
God is not the god of the hurt. He is the God of the blessing. Weapons ARE formed against us and they will be used on us. But, those weapons will not prosper in continuing to bring us pain and suffering if we hold our faith steady in the Word of God. God WILL turn things around and bring His promised blessings upon us. Jesus' great key to overwhelming victory was in His unfailing faith in the Word of God. OOOOPS! A lot of people in His day knew a lot about the Word of God. Jesus used the great multiplier. He developed a strong and loving relationship with His Father, the Author of the Word that everybody else knew.
That Saints, is the difference between the overcomers and just everyday believers. You are the only one that can make a difference in your life. I am sure that if you are reading this, you believe the Word. The BIG difference will come when you develop a vibrant and passionate love affair with your Heavenly Father. He is the Great Multiplier. As your love affair with Him grows, the reality of the blessings will begin to materialize. The weapons that were formed against you will fade into oblivion because of the brilliance of His glory that will be manifested to you.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Send Your Faith To A Thousand Generations
Rom 4:17-18 (NLT)--That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, "I have made you the father of many nations." [fn] This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing. Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, "That's how many descendants you will have!" [fn]
I was reading in the fourth chapter of Romans this morning and I wanted to share a few thoughts with you. In my last couple of blogs, I talked about God's faithfulness to His Word. I talked about the special things He did for Mary, Joseph, and David. All of these people hung on to the Word of God more than they hung on to the circumstances they faced. They all believed that God had something better for them than what they were going through at the moment.
Paul, in his letter to the Romans, brings something about these characters to light. All of them had the same beginning. The beginning of their physical lives and their faith began in the patriarch Abraham. Abraham was an old man when God promised him that he would be the father of many nations. Paul makes it plain that Abraham DID NOT receive the promise because he worked for it. All Abraham did was believe God every day that He was able to do whatever He promised He would do. This faith in God carried down through the generations to Mary, Joseph and David.
I realize that that fact has been preached many, many times. However, did it ever dawn on you that your faith or the lack thereof would have an effect on your children down to a thousand generations? You find this promise in Exodus 20:6, Dt 5:10 and Dt 7:9 just to name a few places. Did you realize that when Abraham was believing God for deliverance in his own life to bring Isaac into the world that he was also believing that God would watch over his seed for a thousand generations to come? Did you realize that when Isaac believed that, it was extended for another generation past that? When Jacob was born and he believed God it was extended for another generation past that?
What happened when the children of Israel came into the promised land? They got fat and sassy and fell into sin and became slaves to strange nations. Because of Abraham's faith that in his seed the nations would be blessed, God was obligated to raise up a deliverer to bring them out of bondage. Because they were the good guys? No. They were sinners. But God was obligated because Abraham believed God hundreds of years ago and God was faithful to the promise He made to Abraham.
Saints, it is more and more important for us to strengthen our faith in God instead of just messing around in church. It is vitally important to our children that our faith in Him stay vibrant and not lackadaisical. Don't just barely hold on for yourself, strengthen your faith in God for your children and your grandchildren to come. Be an Abraham and Sarah who "against hope, believed in hope." Give your children and those that follow you a goal of faith to shoot for. Be known among your children as the one who held fast to faith when it looked like it would never work out. Your children and your grandchildren are counting on you.
I was reading in the fourth chapter of Romans this morning and I wanted to share a few thoughts with you. In my last couple of blogs, I talked about God's faithfulness to His Word. I talked about the special things He did for Mary, Joseph, and David. All of these people hung on to the Word of God more than they hung on to the circumstances they faced. They all believed that God had something better for them than what they were going through at the moment.
Paul, in his letter to the Romans, brings something about these characters to light. All of them had the same beginning. The beginning of their physical lives and their faith began in the patriarch Abraham. Abraham was an old man when God promised him that he would be the father of many nations. Paul makes it plain that Abraham DID NOT receive the promise because he worked for it. All Abraham did was believe God every day that He was able to do whatever He promised He would do. This faith in God carried down through the generations to Mary, Joseph and David.
I realize that that fact has been preached many, many times. However, did it ever dawn on you that your faith or the lack thereof would have an effect on your children down to a thousand generations? You find this promise in Exodus 20:6, Dt 5:10 and Dt 7:9 just to name a few places. Did you realize that when Abraham was believing God for deliverance in his own life to bring Isaac into the world that he was also believing that God would watch over his seed for a thousand generations to come? Did you realize that when Isaac believed that, it was extended for another generation past that? When Jacob was born and he believed God it was extended for another generation past that?
What happened when the children of Israel came into the promised land? They got fat and sassy and fell into sin and became slaves to strange nations. Because of Abraham's faith that in his seed the nations would be blessed, God was obligated to raise up a deliverer to bring them out of bondage. Because they were the good guys? No. They were sinners. But God was obligated because Abraham believed God hundreds of years ago and God was faithful to the promise He made to Abraham.
Saints, it is more and more important for us to strengthen our faith in God instead of just messing around in church. It is vitally important to our children that our faith in Him stay vibrant and not lackadaisical. Don't just barely hold on for yourself, strengthen your faith in God for your children and your grandchildren to come. Be an Abraham and Sarah who "against hope, believed in hope." Give your children and those that follow you a goal of faith to shoot for. Be known among your children as the one who held fast to faith when it looked like it would never work out. Your children and your grandchildren are counting on you.
Monday, December 5, 2011
God Meant It For Good
Gen 50:20--But as for you, ye thought evil against me; [but] God meant it unto good,
After the death of their father, Jacob, Joseph's 11 brothers began to plead for their lives. They finally apologized and admitted their guilt. Instead of showing hostility toward them, Joseph came up with the above statement. It not only shows his gracious forgiveness but it also gives immeasurable insight into the heart of God.
Let's look at a couple of words. "ye THOUGHT evil, but God MEANT it unto good." The Hebrew word for THOUGHT and MEANT is the same word--chashab. This word means to think, to plan, to calculate, to esteem and to make a judgement. When you begin to substitute any of the definitions of the Hebrew word into the sentence, it brings clarity to what Joseph was saying.
He told his brothers---You planned evil against me. Or, you calculated evil against me. Isn't that exactly what they had done? They thought about doing evil to Joseph, they planned on doing evil to him and they calculated a way to get it done. They had the choice to love and they had the choice to hate. They could have accepted the fact that their father loved the child born to his favorite wife or reject him. Understand this, the decision was not God's. The decision was theirs. They chose the evil. Since God allows everyone on the face of the earth a free choice, he could not stop Joseph's brothers from thinking, planning and calculating evil against him. Re-read the verse and you will see that Joseph admits it.
God cannot stop the evil man from his evil plans against any of us. He would not be a righteous God if he gave some a free will and denied others a free will. So, let's use the other definitions of the word to define God's actions now that evil has come to Joseph. God esteemed it to be good, or God made a judgement call and said it would be good. The heart of this statement is simple. God couldn't stop his brothers from their hateful actions. But as long as Joseph stayed firm in his commitment to God, God was obligated to work that situation for Joseph's good. Ultimately is was for the good of the entire Hebrew nation, but that's a different story.
Let's say it a different way to some different faith heroes. In our last blog, we mentioned that the birth of Jesus did not happen the way that Mary or Joseph thought that it would. They were probably planning on a nice city-wide celebration with all of their family and friends rejoicing with them. However, an ungodly ruler interrupted their their good plans with his plans for taxation. Did God work that idea together for His good and for Mary and Joseph? (Rom 8:28) Absolutely. I am sure they were disappointed and probably got pretty upset about it. Everybody knows that an eight to nine month pregnant lady has a right to get upset about traveling and then having her baby in a strange town. Can we say "Amen."
But, just what did God work? He sent an angel with a birth announcement. He told his worship choir to back up the angel and teach the shepherds a new worship song. As the shepherds went from backyard to backyard, they asked questions about a baby and told everyone they saw about the fantastic events. Now, would she have gotten THAT kind of party in Nazareth? Probably not. She was the hit of the community. There is no way that Mary, Joseph and their respective families could have ever orchestrated an event like that. But, God MEANT THAT BAD THING WAS GOING TO WORK OUT FOR GOOD.
After the shepherd boy, David, was anointed to be king, his brothers didn't laud him with praise. King Saul certainly didn't just jump down from his throne and let David take over. The short story is that King Saul PLANNED to kill David. When David ran away, King Saul spent a good bit of his time chasing David instead of protecting the kingdom until it was absolutely necessary. But, God MEANT THAT BAD THING WAS GOING TO WORK OUT FOR GOOD. David took families that we would say were "from the wrong side of the tracks" and made them into a God-loving army that stood by him in the worst of times.
Even though bad stuff happened to all of these, God saw the plans they made and carried out. As they were busy planning harmful stuff, God was planning multitudinous blessings that would far, far, far exceed the evil that was going to be done to them. This is the fact that we have to hold on to. God is not a respecter of persons and never has been. What He has done for others, He will be faithful to do to all who believe Him. The problem comes when we refuse to believe that He is a faithful rewarder of those who will remain faithful to him.
Think of what these folks went through. Put yourselves in their places for a few moments. Think of how they must have felt. Some of us have gone through some of the same things. HOWEVER, as you "ponder" these people in the middle of their hardships, go one extra step. In every one of these situations, there came a day when everything began to turn around for them. There came a day when they actually saw things getting better. There came days upon days where the blessings of God just never stopped from flowing. And, the blessing that each of them received far, far, far exceeded the tragedy that they went through.
Saints, let's don't give up hope. Let's continue to worship and praise our God even in the middle of rough times. What the bad guys have planned on being bad for us, God is planning on turning it for our good. Turn your TV off and get hooked on His Word, His promises and His faithfulness. Keep looking for the day of blessings from our God. No matter what bad is happening to you right now, God is planning on making it good.
After the death of their father, Jacob, Joseph's 11 brothers began to plead for their lives. They finally apologized and admitted their guilt. Instead of showing hostility toward them, Joseph came up with the above statement. It not only shows his gracious forgiveness but it also gives immeasurable insight into the heart of God.
Let's look at a couple of words. "ye THOUGHT evil, but God MEANT it unto good." The Hebrew word for THOUGHT and MEANT is the same word--chashab. This word means to think, to plan, to calculate, to esteem and to make a judgement. When you begin to substitute any of the definitions of the Hebrew word into the sentence, it brings clarity to what Joseph was saying.
He told his brothers---You planned evil against me. Or, you calculated evil against me. Isn't that exactly what they had done? They thought about doing evil to Joseph, they planned on doing evil to him and they calculated a way to get it done. They had the choice to love and they had the choice to hate. They could have accepted the fact that their father loved the child born to his favorite wife or reject him. Understand this, the decision was not God's. The decision was theirs. They chose the evil. Since God allows everyone on the face of the earth a free choice, he could not stop Joseph's brothers from thinking, planning and calculating evil against him. Re-read the verse and you will see that Joseph admits it.
God cannot stop the evil man from his evil plans against any of us. He would not be a righteous God if he gave some a free will and denied others a free will. So, let's use the other definitions of the word to define God's actions now that evil has come to Joseph. God esteemed it to be good, or God made a judgement call and said it would be good. The heart of this statement is simple. God couldn't stop his brothers from their hateful actions. But as long as Joseph stayed firm in his commitment to God, God was obligated to work that situation for Joseph's good. Ultimately is was for the good of the entire Hebrew nation, but that's a different story.
Let's say it a different way to some different faith heroes. In our last blog, we mentioned that the birth of Jesus did not happen the way that Mary or Joseph thought that it would. They were probably planning on a nice city-wide celebration with all of their family and friends rejoicing with them. However, an ungodly ruler interrupted their their good plans with his plans for taxation. Did God work that idea together for His good and for Mary and Joseph? (Rom 8:28) Absolutely. I am sure they were disappointed and probably got pretty upset about it. Everybody knows that an eight to nine month pregnant lady has a right to get upset about traveling and then having her baby in a strange town. Can we say "Amen."
But, just what did God work? He sent an angel with a birth announcement. He told his worship choir to back up the angel and teach the shepherds a new worship song. As the shepherds went from backyard to backyard, they asked questions about a baby and told everyone they saw about the fantastic events. Now, would she have gotten THAT kind of party in Nazareth? Probably not. She was the hit of the community. There is no way that Mary, Joseph and their respective families could have ever orchestrated an event like that. But, God MEANT THAT BAD THING WAS GOING TO WORK OUT FOR GOOD.
After the shepherd boy, David, was anointed to be king, his brothers didn't laud him with praise. King Saul certainly didn't just jump down from his throne and let David take over. The short story is that King Saul PLANNED to kill David. When David ran away, King Saul spent a good bit of his time chasing David instead of protecting the kingdom until it was absolutely necessary. But, God MEANT THAT BAD THING WAS GOING TO WORK OUT FOR GOOD. David took families that we would say were "from the wrong side of the tracks" and made them into a God-loving army that stood by him in the worst of times.
Even though bad stuff happened to all of these, God saw the plans they made and carried out. As they were busy planning harmful stuff, God was planning multitudinous blessings that would far, far, far exceed the evil that was going to be done to them. This is the fact that we have to hold on to. God is not a respecter of persons and never has been. What He has done for others, He will be faithful to do to all who believe Him. The problem comes when we refuse to believe that He is a faithful rewarder of those who will remain faithful to him.
Think of what these folks went through. Put yourselves in their places for a few moments. Think of how they must have felt. Some of us have gone through some of the same things. HOWEVER, as you "ponder" these people in the middle of their hardships, go one extra step. In every one of these situations, there came a day when everything began to turn around for them. There came a day when they actually saw things getting better. There came days upon days where the blessings of God just never stopped from flowing. And, the blessing that each of them received far, far, far exceeded the tragedy that they went through.
Saints, let's don't give up hope. Let's continue to worship and praise our God even in the middle of rough times. What the bad guys have planned on being bad for us, God is planning on turning it for our good. Turn your TV off and get hooked on His Word, His promises and His faithfulness. Keep looking for the day of blessings from our God. No matter what bad is happening to you right now, God is planning on making it good.
You're Gonna Need It Some Day
Luke 2:19--But Mary kept all these things, and pondered [them] in her heart.
This verse comes from the Birth of Jesus Christ narrative found in Luke 2. Mary and Joseph were FORCED to go to Bethlehem. They were FORCED to stay in a stable. They were FORCED to bring a baby into the world inside of a place that most people only kept their dirty and stinking animals.
This was not what they were thinking about when God first spoke to them about giving birth to His son. Originally, they had probably had grand ideas of being surrounded by their relatives in the safety of their own home. Mary had probably looked forward to being taken care of by her mother, aunts and sisters. They might have even planned a community event. A birthday party if you will. However, by circumstances not of their own design, the baby Jesus came into this world in a rather inglorious way.
In preparing for this message, I put myself in Joseph's and Mary's place. If you would do the same thing, you would probably be flooded with the same kind of feelings that I had. At first there was the joy of a child being born. Not just a child, but a God promised child. They had pictures in their minds of being surrounded by all of the people they knew, lived by and worked with. Just like us, they talked about the birth with all of their friends and relatives. Now, where were all of those plans?
One of the things they might have missed, was considering that, like any good father, the Father had birth announcement plans of His own. He had already made plans for the birth of His Son all the way down to His special maternity ward. When the great day came, one messenger angel made himself known to some shepherds who were busy taking care of their sheep. Yes, the Father did make a special birth announcement but not in the local paper. In a blaze that could only be seen by these shepherds, a heavenly choir sang a birthday greeting to them. These shepherds had no idea who Joseph was, who Mary was or the exact address of where the stable was. But, when the angels disappeared, they made up their minds to run through everybody's back yard in Bethlehem to see this event that the angels told them about.
Then, they found Him. Can you imagine what Joseph and Mary thought? They heard the commotion of these overly excited shepherds combing the neighborhood and waking everybody up. When they found the Christ child, they fell down and worshipped Him. They probably ran through the story over and over and over again. Why? Because there was so much to tell, that they forgot. But, it was so glorious they had to share it all with them.
Was this what Mary and Joseph had planned? No. At first, they were probably as disappointed as we would be. All of their plans had been changed by someone else's decisions about their lives. It certainly wasn't their plan but it was God's. Every circumstance was designed by the Loving Father.
And Mary pondered these things in her heart. The word 'ponder' means to converse. She thought these things over and over and over and over until every event was firmly implanted in her mind and soul. She was going to need that. Because, when it came time for her Son to be crucified, she needed some concrete emotions that she could lean on.
We are the same way. Things might be going OK for us right now. But, as long as we live in this world, circumstances we never expected will change the course of our lives. These are the times when we can shipwreck or plow through. It all depends on what we have pondered. What circumstances have we built our lives and emotions on? Are we just living from day to day the best way we can? Or, like Mary, have we talked about God's Word and His amazing plans until we are stabilized by His faithfulness?
It was a good thing that Mary pondered God's provision and plan for her life in her heart. She needed it one day. Let's take advantage of today and meditate on His Word and worship in His presence. We're gonna need it some day.
This verse comes from the Birth of Jesus Christ narrative found in Luke 2. Mary and Joseph were FORCED to go to Bethlehem. They were FORCED to stay in a stable. They were FORCED to bring a baby into the world inside of a place that most people only kept their dirty and stinking animals.
This was not what they were thinking about when God first spoke to them about giving birth to His son. Originally, they had probably had grand ideas of being surrounded by their relatives in the safety of their own home. Mary had probably looked forward to being taken care of by her mother, aunts and sisters. They might have even planned a community event. A birthday party if you will. However, by circumstances not of their own design, the baby Jesus came into this world in a rather inglorious way.
In preparing for this message, I put myself in Joseph's and Mary's place. If you would do the same thing, you would probably be flooded with the same kind of feelings that I had. At first there was the joy of a child being born. Not just a child, but a God promised child. They had pictures in their minds of being surrounded by all of the people they knew, lived by and worked with. Just like us, they talked about the birth with all of their friends and relatives. Now, where were all of those plans?
One of the things they might have missed, was considering that, like any good father, the Father had birth announcement plans of His own. He had already made plans for the birth of His Son all the way down to His special maternity ward. When the great day came, one messenger angel made himself known to some shepherds who were busy taking care of their sheep. Yes, the Father did make a special birth announcement but not in the local paper. In a blaze that could only be seen by these shepherds, a heavenly choir sang a birthday greeting to them. These shepherds had no idea who Joseph was, who Mary was or the exact address of where the stable was. But, when the angels disappeared, they made up their minds to run through everybody's back yard in Bethlehem to see this event that the angels told them about.
Then, they found Him. Can you imagine what Joseph and Mary thought? They heard the commotion of these overly excited shepherds combing the neighborhood and waking everybody up. When they found the Christ child, they fell down and worshipped Him. They probably ran through the story over and over and over again. Why? Because there was so much to tell, that they forgot. But, it was so glorious they had to share it all with them.
Was this what Mary and Joseph had planned? No. At first, they were probably as disappointed as we would be. All of their plans had been changed by someone else's decisions about their lives. It certainly wasn't their plan but it was God's. Every circumstance was designed by the Loving Father.
And Mary pondered these things in her heart. The word 'ponder' means to converse. She thought these things over and over and over and over until every event was firmly implanted in her mind and soul. She was going to need that. Because, when it came time for her Son to be crucified, she needed some concrete emotions that she could lean on.
We are the same way. Things might be going OK for us right now. But, as long as we live in this world, circumstances we never expected will change the course of our lives. These are the times when we can shipwreck or plow through. It all depends on what we have pondered. What circumstances have we built our lives and emotions on? Are we just living from day to day the best way we can? Or, like Mary, have we talked about God's Word and His amazing plans until we are stabilized by His faithfulness?
It was a good thing that Mary pondered God's provision and plan for her life in her heart. She needed it one day. Let's take advantage of today and meditate on His Word and worship in His presence. We're gonna need it some day.
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