Revelation 9:1-21 (Click on reference to read text)
This passage is heavy. Can you imagine the headlines during this time period? I know they would not say, "Attention all Believers: You are currently living in Revelations 9. Take heart, God is in control!" This sounds silly, but it is true. Prophecy coming to pass will never be portrayed with a Biblical World View in the media. This is why it is important to train our eyes and ears to recognize the hand of God in every situation, world-wide or personal.
Through the limits he places on His judgement, believers can read this chapter and see the overwhelming gracious hand of God. Instead of seeing the agony of allowing people to be tortured for five months, we see the mercy of God in giving them more time to repent! Instead of looking at the 1/3 of mankind that is killed, we see the grace in God allowing 2/3 of mankind to survive even in their extreme rebellion! No matter how bad it gets on Earth, we know that is nothing compared to the agony and eternity of Hell.
In order to run the race marked out for us as believers, we must believe and live by the truth that God is gracious and good no matter what the circumstances around us look like. That one truth of who God is must permeate our belief system so deeply that nothing we see, hear, or feel could change it. Through this chapter in Revelation, we begin to understand that it is not "how can a loving God allow people to suffer," but "how long-suffering and loving God is that He will go to extreme measures to cause people to turn to Him!"
God will take extreme measures in our life as well. As Christians, we too can be rebellious within individual circumstances. If we take a close look at our life during our own times of judgement, we can see the grace and mercy of God within those situations. Often times, upon close examinations, we discover that we have placed ourself in a bad situation that will bring us ruin or have allowed habits to form in our life that will ultimately hurt ourselves or those around us that we love. God loves us too much to leave us! He cares more about eternity than our present comfort, and will go to extreme measures, if need be, to bring us back to Him! Are there any areas in your life that you need to repent of? How will you respond: like the men in vs. 6 will you long for the end/death of the circumstance or will you return to the Lord?
Take a close look at your circumstances. Train your eyes to look for and see the hand of God in your life. Just as we can see the ultimate control and sovereignty of God through every verse of Revelation 9, he is sovereign and in control of your life now. It is only when we practice and train our eyes to see the movements of His hands, will we recognize His character no matter how the circumstances look around us. He is in control. He is sovereign. He is gracious and He is good.
"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things... put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." Phil 4:8-9
Showing posts with label Faithfulness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Faithfulness. Show all posts
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Give Thanks...
Philippians 4:4-13 (Click on reference to read text)
My family and I walked into our home Monday night to discover water pouring from the ceiling of our kitchen, and our daughter's upstairs bedroom closet soaking wet. A few hours, and what will soon be several thousand dollars later, we have a hole in our kitchen ceiling, a hole in our daughter's floor, an insurance claim, a furnace that needs to be replaced, and a leak in our roof we discovered haphazardly through this entire process. As my home has become a construction site, I ponder Paul's words... Rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS!
It is nearly impossible for the fleshly mind to comprehend how Paul could say this. He was sitting in a prison and not out doing what he felt the Lord had called him to do, yet we find him not only rejoicing, but admonishing others to do the same. He truly believed what He wrote, "God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love God" (Romans 8:28). He intimately knew the Father. He knew that our loving Father is out to bless and protect. However, Paul also knew that the Lord was more concerned about eternity than our present comfort.
So what was there to rejoice about? Thanks to Paul's prison sentence, we have the New Testament. Most of the New Testament was written by Paul while he was in prison. You see, although Paul was seemingly being held back from his mission, to proclaim the gospel to the known world, God actually used this time so that Paul could proclaim the Gospel to all the world for centuries to come.
God's plans are perfect. We must cling to Him and His promises and CHOOSE to believe in His faithfulness, period! No matter what our present circumstances dictate. Paul could have easily given into his circumstances and wasted this time in prison. However, he allowed God to use him even though he was held captive. What situations are you in? Are you bemoaning your circumstance and having a pity party, or are you asking yourself what the Lord would have you do in the midst of this trying time?
I have plenty to rejoice about. A house can be repaired, but the peace that God is giving me in the midst of this situation is priceless. He has shown me His awesome faithfulness. You see, we had just come home from being out of town for a week. We were able to minimize the damage because we were home and stopped it before it was worse. A house is just a shell, but building a home of the foundation of Jesus Christ is what is truly important. So let us learn from Paul: rejoice in the Lord (vs.4), be anxious for nothing (vs. 6), pray with thanksgiving in the midst of your circumstance (vs.6), let God's peace guard your heart (vs. 7), focus/dwell on the good things (vs. 8), find contentment in Him (vs. 12), for we can do all things through Him who gives us strength (vs. 13)!
My family and I walked into our home Monday night to discover water pouring from the ceiling of our kitchen, and our daughter's upstairs bedroom closet soaking wet. A few hours, and what will soon be several thousand dollars later, we have a hole in our kitchen ceiling, a hole in our daughter's floor, an insurance claim, a furnace that needs to be replaced, and a leak in our roof we discovered haphazardly through this entire process. As my home has become a construction site, I ponder Paul's words... Rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS!
It is nearly impossible for the fleshly mind to comprehend how Paul could say this. He was sitting in a prison and not out doing what he felt the Lord had called him to do, yet we find him not only rejoicing, but admonishing others to do the same. He truly believed what He wrote, "God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love God" (Romans 8:28). He intimately knew the Father. He knew that our loving Father is out to bless and protect. However, Paul also knew that the Lord was more concerned about eternity than our present comfort.
So what was there to rejoice about? Thanks to Paul's prison sentence, we have the New Testament. Most of the New Testament was written by Paul while he was in prison. You see, although Paul was seemingly being held back from his mission, to proclaim the gospel to the known world, God actually used this time so that Paul could proclaim the Gospel to all the world for centuries to come.
God's plans are perfect. We must cling to Him and His promises and CHOOSE to believe in His faithfulness, period! No matter what our present circumstances dictate. Paul could have easily given into his circumstances and wasted this time in prison. However, he allowed God to use him even though he was held captive. What situations are you in? Are you bemoaning your circumstance and having a pity party, or are you asking yourself what the Lord would have you do in the midst of this trying time?
I have plenty to rejoice about. A house can be repaired, but the peace that God is giving me in the midst of this situation is priceless. He has shown me His awesome faithfulness. You see, we had just come home from being out of town for a week. We were able to minimize the damage because we were home and stopped it before it was worse. A house is just a shell, but building a home of the foundation of Jesus Christ is what is truly important. So let us learn from Paul: rejoice in the Lord (vs.4), be anxious for nothing (vs. 6), pray with thanksgiving in the midst of your circumstance (vs.6), let God's peace guard your heart (vs. 7), focus/dwell on the good things (vs. 8), find contentment in Him (vs. 12), for we can do all things through Him who gives us strength (vs. 13)!
Sunday, September 27, 2009
To the Brim...
John 2:1-11 (Click reference to read text)
The beginning of John capture 2 describes Jesus' first miracle, changing water into wine. I have always read this story with little more than a passing interest... hey I was raised Baptist and wine was a major no-no! However, recently the Lord really taught me some things that I would like to share.
The jars that Jesus used were designated for ceremonial washings (vs. 6). Often God uses people and things in unconventional ways for His glory. We must learn not to place restraints on God and put Him in a box. How many times do we miss out on His blessing/abundance because we try to tell the Lord how He can and should use us, our talents, our home, or our loved ones? Do I make everything available for His use... even things that I feel would be better used somewhere/somehow different?
Next, we see the servants filling the jars to the brim (vs. 7). This truth is key in our Christian walk. We must learn to be obedient to the brim! We need to obey with enthusiasm. We need to have a "to the brim" mentality! How much abundance have we missed out on because we obeyed most of the way, or gave mostly our best?
However, not only do we need to obey fully, but we also need to just do what the Lord tells us to. Even the simple things. Jesus told the servants to take some of the water to their master, and they did so (vs. 8). This command probably made no sense, because for all the servants knew they were about to take some water to their boss. They didn't know it was wine yet. We must never hesitate in obeying God just because we don't fully understand what He is going to do. We need to obey even if we think it might affect us negatively or risk embarrassment!
Basically, it all boils down to this: If the servants would have argued, "You can't use these! They are made for something else! They only have one use!" they would have never seen the miraculous hand of God. Or if they would not have filled the jars to the brim, they would have limited the overflow of Christ. SO many times we limit God in our life... either because of excuses or by not putting forth a "to the brim" kind of effort. Let's see the hand of God. As you can read, there was no step-by-step plan in making this miracle happen. The servants could not take the Glory, only God could! Let Him take control, take the Glory, and Bless!
The beginning of John capture 2 describes Jesus' first miracle, changing water into wine. I have always read this story with little more than a passing interest... hey I was raised Baptist and wine was a major no-no! However, recently the Lord really taught me some things that I would like to share.
The jars that Jesus used were designated for ceremonial washings (vs. 6). Often God uses people and things in unconventional ways for His glory. We must learn not to place restraints on God and put Him in a box. How many times do we miss out on His blessing/abundance because we try to tell the Lord how He can and should use us, our talents, our home, or our loved ones? Do I make everything available for His use... even things that I feel would be better used somewhere/somehow different?
Next, we see the servants filling the jars to the brim (vs. 7). This truth is key in our Christian walk. We must learn to be obedient to the brim! We need to obey with enthusiasm. We need to have a "to the brim" mentality! How much abundance have we missed out on because we obeyed most of the way, or gave mostly our best?
However, not only do we need to obey fully, but we also need to just do what the Lord tells us to. Even the simple things. Jesus told the servants to take some of the water to their master, and they did so (vs. 8). This command probably made no sense, because for all the servants knew they were about to take some water to their boss. They didn't know it was wine yet. We must never hesitate in obeying God just because we don't fully understand what He is going to do. We need to obey even if we think it might affect us negatively or risk embarrassment!
Basically, it all boils down to this: If the servants would have argued, "You can't use these! They are made for something else! They only have one use!" they would have never seen the miraculous hand of God. Or if they would not have filled the jars to the brim, they would have limited the overflow of Christ. SO many times we limit God in our life... either because of excuses or by not putting forth a "to the brim" kind of effort. Let's see the hand of God. As you can read, there was no step-by-step plan in making this miracle happen. The servants could not take the Glory, only God could! Let Him take control, take the Glory, and Bless!
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Are You Empty?
2 Kings 4:1-7 - Click on reference to read... Please take a moment to read the Scripture. My words are simply that, but God's are living and active (Hebrews 4:12)
God promises in His Word that He will never leave us nor forsake us (Deut. 31:6). However, there are times in our life that we are so weighted down and troubled we cannot imagine getting through. Although He promises that He will never leave us, God also promises, "in this world you will have trouble," BUT don't forget the rest, "I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).
This God-fearing widow found herself in dire need. Her life, and the lives of her children, were at stake! Instead of running to worldly solutions, she ran to God! God was willing to bless her in the midst of her troubles... to the point of OVERFLOWING! He took what she already had (vs. 2) and brought deliverance! However, it was her responsibility to provide empty jars. As many empty jars as she provided, God was willing to fill!
So many times, the amount of blessing we receive depends upon the amount of emptiness we present to God. We may obey him half-heartily... maybe only gathering the jars closest to us that require no extra cleaning out or searching. Maybe we are scared to ask others around us for help. Maybe we are too scared to be totally empty and vulnerable before the Lord. Yet any of these excuses would limit the work and power of God in our life. Elisha commanded, "Don't ask for just a few" (vs. 3). It is only when we are empty before the Lord, taking out all of ourselves and presenting it before God, that He can deliver us from ourselves and fill us with His spirit to the point of overflowing!
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