Promises Promises

Luke 6:38 - "Give and it shall be given unto you..."

God's promises are a thrilling part of scripture. They are so wonderful that Peter describes them as "exceeding, great and precious promises" in II Peter 1:4. Since they are so wonderful, why is it that we so seldom trust in these promises? I heard a story years ago that illustrates this very well. It seems that a new pastor had moved into the area and was visiting all of the members of his Church. He had come to visit one of the shut ins, who was a Godly woman of some years. As he arrived, she asked if he would like some coffee, to which he accepted. While she was in the kitchen, he began to thumb through her worn old Bible. Quickly, he notice notations throughout that read T&P. When she came back, he asked the meaning of these strange notes in the margins of her Bible. With a broad smile she said, "If you notice, they are beside the promises of God, and the T&P simply stands for tried and proven". Over the years, she had learned that if God made her a promise, He was going to keep it. So, as the needs arised and God showed her a promise, she would put her trust in that promise and watch God go to work. We began with such a promise. It is usually associated with money, but the principal applies to anything. If you give your time to God, He will bless and you will have more time. If you give your talents to God, He will bless those talents. By the way, it is amazing how many times God reveals a promise to us, just before we need it to trust in. But, we have to get into the Word of God to find them. I want to encourage you to search out these exceeding great and precious promises and watch God go to work.

Get The Point?

James 4:7 "Submit yourselves therefore to God. resis the devil, and he will flee from you."

I love the Olympics, especially the Summer Games. One of the things that I really enjoy is the opportunity to watch sporting events that I don't normally get a chance to see. One such event is fencing. I have never understood why they call it fencing since I have yet to see one of them come out with post hole diggers, but I guess that is another sport. What intrigues me about fencing is how different the real thing is to the Hollywood version that we see in the swashbucklers on the big screen. There they can go on for 20 minutes, while climbing all over the place and no one gets hurt. Not so in the Summer Games. If you so much as bat an eye, you could miss the match. In a matter of a split second, someone gets the point, if you get my point. Sometimes it is like that in the Christian walk of faith. We are going along fine with all of the confidence in the world and out of the clear blue Satan attacks and down we go. We may think we are on guard, but ever so quickly we have been struck. Sometimes it is but a glancing blow and we are able to defend ourselves using the shield of Faith and the Sword of the Word of God. Then, there are the times when we find ourselves unarmed and are struck a mighty blow.
We need not be afraid of Satan, because we have the promise that "greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world". I John 4:4. But, we do need to be ever mindful of the fact that the devil is like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. (I Peter 5:8) With that in mind, let me encourage you to get the point, lest you "get the point".

You Want Me To Do What?

Acts 9:6 "...Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?..."

As you read the pages of the Bible it becomes increasingly evident that people were different back then than they are today. Too often, we think of our Bible heroes as super beings with super powers - you know, faster than a speeding bullet kind of thing. But the reality is they were just flesh and bone, like you and me. So, what made the difference in them being able to do what appears to be an impossibility? Some might say, that they lived in a different time and the sins of the world today are greater than ever before. But, then you have to consider Noah who lived in such a wicked time that God said He was going to bring judgement upon the whole earth. Often, we think of the tremendous task that Noah faced in building the Ark. Can you imagine what must have been going through his mind when God spoke to him and began to give him the dimensions of the Ark? He may very well have said "You want me to do what?" And then for him to stay with the project for 120 years is just mind boggling. If we don't see results in 24 hrs we are ready to pack it in. Having said all of that, let me remind you of a greater work that God called Noah to do. Gen 6:8-9 tells us that Noah found Grace in the eyes of the Lord because he was a just man and walked with God. In these 2 verses lies the core of the greater work, which was to live righteously in an unrighteous world. God knew that Noah could build an Ark, because God knew Noah could build a life that was pleasing unto him. No matter what God has called you to do in service for Him it all begins with a righteous life and walking with Him.

Ignorance Isn't Really Bliss

Rom 1:13 "Now, I would not have you ignorant, brethren..."

I don't know who came up with that statement, but it has caused many people to become complacent and not seek for the answers. Some people like to apply that to potential tragic situation, such as "I am happy not knowing that I have cancer." But, in reality, knowledge is bliss, rather than ignorance. With knowledge comes the ability to face the situation and deal with it in a logical and productive manner. Knowledge also brings hope and faith. Romans 10:17 tells us the "faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God". The more that we get into God's Holy Word, the more that we learn about Him. The more that we know about Him the more that we can see how He wants to be involved in our lives and how He can do marvelous things to take care of us. Ephesians 2:12 reminds us that before we were saved we were without God in this world and had no hope. Sadly, there are Christians today that face seemingly incurable diseases and feel hopeless because they are now aware that our God is the Great Physician. There are those who have lost their jobs that are in despair because they don't realize that God said He would supply our every need. Where is the bliss in that ignorance? So, take some time out of your busy schedule and learn about God. You will be glad that you did.

Let's Compare the Church And Computers

Heb 10:25 "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is..."

I am so amazed at computers. I can remember when I first began to use them and stood in awe at what they could do. But, today, the computer can do things that I don't even know about. Things that could make my everyday life so much more simple - if I just knew how to use it. In the last 25 yrs, I have learned to do more with my computer, but it is still primarily for office, study and communication use. With all of the advancements, I still only do a very small portion of what my computer is capable of doing. And, it will only do what I tell it to do. Okay, you are wondering what is the connection between the computer and the Church. Well, just like I am missing out on all that the computer can do for me, so are most Church members today. They have one application - Sunday morning worship service. But, there is so much more that can benefit your life that is going untapped. For example, what about Sunday School? At 9:45 AM you can come and be taught more of what the Bible has to say and how it applies to your life. Weds. nights are a great time to come and share your burdens one with another as we collectively bring our petitions before the Throne of Grace. Or, you could get involved in the ministry of the Church by singing in the choir, or teaching a class or going out on visitation or whatever God leads you to do. Just like there is a whole lot more to my computer, there is so much more to your Church. And those who are the most productive are those who get the most use out of what they have. Is that you?