Acts 9:1-19 (Click on reference to read text)
"What is God's will for my life?" I must have asked myself this question 100s of times. My entire life I have weighed every decision trying to figure it out. Studying the life of Paul has given me a glimpse of the answer.
Paul had a single calling. He was to bear the name of Jesus Christ before the Gentiles, Kings, and sons of Israel (vs.15). God did not give him a step by step road map as to where he was to proclaim the name of Jesus, but in His sovereignty God allowed Paul to be in certain places and blocked him from going to other places (Acts 16:6-7). However, throughout the book of Acts, we see that he never misses an opportunity to talk about Jesus Christ and the resurrection. Wherever Paul found himself, he simply opened his mouth.
You and I have the same calling. We are to go into all the world and make disciples teaching them to observe all that God has commanded us (Mathew 28:19-20). We don't have to know where we are going to live five years from now, 10 years or even 1 year. We don't have to know who we are going to marry, how many kids we are going to have, what ministry opportunities we might be involved in or what job we are going to have. We just have to open our mouth and proclaim Christ wherever we are. That means when He gives me an opportunity to share at the grocery store, I need to be obedient. I need to teach Christ to my children in my home now, regardless whether I have any more children in the future. The details are irrelevant. God in His sovereignty has us where we are now for a reason. Just obey. It is really that simple!
Paul states towards the end of his life that he had lived his life with a perfectly good conscience before God to that very day (Acts 23:1). Oh to be able to say these words, but the truth is we can! We have a single calling: to glorify God and proclaim the hope of the resurrected Jesus Christ. Join me. Let's start today where we are and trust God to take us the next step in His perfect timing!
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Thursday, April 5, 2012
"But I said I was sorry..."
Numbers 21:4-9 (click on reference to read text)
Honesty time... how many times have we said we were sorry, repented for our sins, and then were frustrated when God didn't take away the situation we found ourselves in? I mean, we said we were sorry, right?! When this happens we often begin to go on an entirely new line of questions... Does that mean that God didn't truly accept my repentance? Is He not sovereign enough to pull me out of this mess? I think today, the Lord gave me an answer!
In this passage we once again find the Israelites grumbling. They become impatient with the long journey and complain, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food" (vs. 5). God just one chapter earlier brought water from a rock! Clearly He is taking care of them, and the only reason they are still in the wilderness in the first place is because they refused to go in and capture the Promised Land like He asked (Numbers 13-14). So what does God do? He sends poisoness snakes among the camp, and the people who were bit died.
They were not stupid, and neither are we when bad stuff starts to happen as a result of our sin. We realize what we have done and we repent. God honored their repentance and he gave a plan of action: "Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live"(vs.8). However, there is a key point: notice God did not REMOVE the snakes. He just provided away out from death.
There will be times when our sin will wreak havoc in our lives. There will be consequences, and most likely, they will be unpleasant. However, just as God provided a means from death for the Israelites, He provided a means for us from Eternal Damnation through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. His forgiveness of our sins will always provide away from "death", but it may not always remove the consequences. We must always remember that God's sovereignty is not dependent or affected by our present circumstances!
So... find yourself in a mess? Need a way out? Choose Jesus and remember, "For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him" (Psalm 103:11-13).
Honesty time... how many times have we said we were sorry, repented for our sins, and then were frustrated when God didn't take away the situation we found ourselves in? I mean, we said we were sorry, right?! When this happens we often begin to go on an entirely new line of questions... Does that mean that God didn't truly accept my repentance? Is He not sovereign enough to pull me out of this mess? I think today, the Lord gave me an answer!
In this passage we once again find the Israelites grumbling. They become impatient with the long journey and complain, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food" (vs. 5). God just one chapter earlier brought water from a rock! Clearly He is taking care of them, and the only reason they are still in the wilderness in the first place is because they refused to go in and capture the Promised Land like He asked (Numbers 13-14). So what does God do? He sends poisoness snakes among the camp, and the people who were bit died.
They were not stupid, and neither are we when bad stuff starts to happen as a result of our sin. We realize what we have done and we repent. God honored their repentance and he gave a plan of action: "Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live"(vs.8). However, there is a key point: notice God did not REMOVE the snakes. He just provided away out from death.
There will be times when our sin will wreak havoc in our lives. There will be consequences, and most likely, they will be unpleasant. However, just as God provided a means from death for the Israelites, He provided a means for us from Eternal Damnation through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. His forgiveness of our sins will always provide away from "death", but it may not always remove the consequences. We must always remember that God's sovereignty is not dependent or affected by our present circumstances!
So... find yourself in a mess? Need a way out? Choose Jesus and remember, "For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him" (Psalm 103:11-13).
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Fear or Faith?
Numbers 14:2-9 (Click on reference to read text)
The 40+ years that Israel spent wandering around the dessert was full of ups and downs. They had seen God do amazing things: part the Red Sea, bring water from a rock, feed them from the Heavens, and many more. The Bible even says that their shoes and clothes did not even wear out (Deut 29:5)... after 40+ years! That in itself is a miracle. Yet, despite all of these great acts of God, they struggled with their faith. Fear crept in and then Faith walked out.
After hearing the report of the 12 spies, the Israelites begin to grumble. The became afraid of the overwhelming task of conquering the promised land. They went so far as to say "let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt" (vs. 4). This was absurd! They began to see the very place where they were enslaved as the Promised Land. It can happen to us!
Fear drives you to bondage! You begin to think the present circumstances you find yourself in is just too hard. You begin to romanticize the past and remember it a lot better than it actually was, and if you are not careful, will convince yourself to return to a life of enslavement.... a life apart from the complete indwelling and control of the Holy Spirit. Be Aware!
Fear may drive you to bondage, but Faith drives you to blessing!! Joshua and Caleb, who were also apart of the 12 spies, tell a different story. They choose to believe the promise of their God and keep moving foward! They speak in faith, "If the Lord is pleased with us, then HE will bring us into this land and give it to us- a land which flows with milk and honey... Do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them" (vs. 8-9). Obstacles, no matter how large, disappear when you are standing with the Great God of the Universe. God always keeps His promises! It may not always be easy, but the Promised Land is worth it!
Are you living in Fear or Faith? Do you find yourself hesitant to continue in the way God has called you? Are you romanticizing the past and wishing things could go back, before you stepped out in faith? Make sure you are not making decisions out of Fear! The Bible warns us to, "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland (Isaiah 43:16-19). Walk by faith!
The 40+ years that Israel spent wandering around the dessert was full of ups and downs. They had seen God do amazing things: part the Red Sea, bring water from a rock, feed them from the Heavens, and many more. The Bible even says that their shoes and clothes did not even wear out (Deut 29:5)... after 40+ years! That in itself is a miracle. Yet, despite all of these great acts of God, they struggled with their faith. Fear crept in and then Faith walked out.
After hearing the report of the 12 spies, the Israelites begin to grumble. The became afraid of the overwhelming task of conquering the promised land. They went so far as to say "let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt" (vs. 4). This was absurd! They began to see the very place where they were enslaved as the Promised Land. It can happen to us!
Fear drives you to bondage! You begin to think the present circumstances you find yourself in is just too hard. You begin to romanticize the past and remember it a lot better than it actually was, and if you are not careful, will convince yourself to return to a life of enslavement.... a life apart from the complete indwelling and control of the Holy Spirit. Be Aware!
Fear may drive you to bondage, but Faith drives you to blessing!! Joshua and Caleb, who were also apart of the 12 spies, tell a different story. They choose to believe the promise of their God and keep moving foward! They speak in faith, "If the Lord is pleased with us, then HE will bring us into this land and give it to us- a land which flows with milk and honey... Do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them" (vs. 8-9). Obstacles, no matter how large, disappear when you are standing with the Great God of the Universe. God always keeps His promises! It may not always be easy, but the Promised Land is worth it!
Are you living in Fear or Faith? Do you find yourself hesitant to continue in the way God has called you? Are you romanticizing the past and wishing things could go back, before you stepped out in faith? Make sure you are not making decisions out of Fear! The Bible warns us to, "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland (Isaiah 43:16-19). Walk by faith!
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