I had the privilege to hear Pastor Brent Kimball rock the Word if God yesterday at Inspire Church of the Skagit Valley. He spoke in the greatness of God. Like he said starting out...where do you start, where do you go from there, and how do you ever end when talking about the greatness if God. Psalms 145:3 says that His greatness no one can fathom. So this is a big topic.
Pastor Brent used space as such an awesome illustration of God's vast greatness. How we know so little about so much. The fact of the enormity of space and that God spoke it into existence. God's greatness!
It struck me, and sadly I may not be the only one this is true of, that I can totally believe God spoke all if that into existence and yet fail to trust Him for the everyday stuff in my life.
I realized yesterday that I have fallen into the horrible trap of thinking that God is just a distant God. Still all powerful and full of greatness, but just not for my needs.
I have repented of that sin.
So I see again today that "Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable." Even in the smallness of my life and its decisions.
Where do you need to grasp His greatness in your life?
As we looked at Ephesians 3:8-13 on Sunday, we had a great group discussion. So much wisdom was presented and God was really working on our lives.
We were given two questions to talk about around our tables. "How does the church reveal Jesus? and How do I reveal Jesus?"
There was a lot said about how the church is revealing Jesus and much about how it isn't. Agreed, there is work to be done in how the church reveals Jesus, but I believe that all hope is not lost. We can become the church that Jesus envisioned when He created us. There were many practical ways given that we can be the church and reveal Jesus to the world. Giving of our time, loving people like no one else can, taking care of our neighbors and actually speaking the name of Jesus not just living the life.
But there was one answer that I really thought summed it up. It was said that the answer of the first question is truly answered by the second. As a whole, we will be ineffective if we are not individually revealing Jesus. It has to start with me and you as a person before we can expect to come together as a whole and really reveal Jesus to the world.
I want to hear your thoughts. Throw them in the comment section below.
How can the church reveal Jesus if the individual is not willing to reveal Jesus?
How can YOU reveal Jesus to the world?
How was Jesus revealed to you?
Originally posted at New Hope's blog
Are you stewarding your revelation? This was our topic on Sunday as we looked at Ephesians 3:1-3.
Came across and interesting piece out of the Bible tonight.
Paul is standing before King Agrippa and giving testimony to his own life and how Jesus intersected it. He is telling the story of Jesus meeting him face to face in a brilliant and blinding light on the road to Damascus. Jesus gave him specifics of what he was to do with this new found truth. We pick up the story in Act 26:18 as Jesus is speaking to Saul (later he becomes Paul) "to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'"
Paul was given specific instructions FROM
Jesus on what he was to be doing.
As we pick up the story in verse 19, we see that Paul followed through with Jesus' plan for him. "Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance."
Paul did not stray from the word that Jesus gave to him. I'm sure he had plenty of opportunity in his ministry to listen to the voices of so many others. Maybe even good voices, maybe even godly voices, but yet he kept fast to the word JESUS gave him!
Staying firm to the word that Jesus gives you can be unpopular, especially when it has to do with preaching repentance, turning to God AND performing deeds in keeping with their repentance. That is evidenced in verse 21 when Paul says, "For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me."
The Church, as well as the world, is full of voices. Good voices and not so good voices. Voices of reason and voices of distraction. As a follower of Jesus you must remember the word (job, mission, purpose, etc.) that Jesus gave to YOU. Not what the voices are wanting you to do.
Before he stood in this position in front of King Agrippa, Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 2:4, " but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts." Not to please man…but to please God. Paul knew, long before his speech in Acts, that pleasing God was his only desire. He knew that the word of Jesus was powerful enough that it was all he needed.
I'm NOT saying that taking in the godly advice of godly people should be dismissed. Not at all. I am saying, however, that straying from the word that JESUS has given you will only lead to disaster and heartache. For a great example of this, please see the story of Jonah.
So how do we guard against falling into this trap?
First, stay in the presence of God. The end of Jonah 1:3 says "So he paid the fare and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord." In contrast to that, Acts 9:11, "and
at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying."
Second, never forget the word of God. Deuteronomy 6:6-9 puts it this way, "And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." In other words, REMEMBER!
Third, Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. When we love someone that much, we could never walk away from what they ask. A great source to study this more is a book by Mark Batterson titled Primal.
What are a few other things you can think of that keep us from falling into this trap?
Spent day one of several days on the lake today. Just a chance to reconnect with Jesus and a chance to harvest a few of the fish He created. And actually I did both today.
On the fish side of things I got 2 keepers and played a couple others. Fishing is much more fun when you are catching.
As I'm sitting in my kayak in the middle of the lake I noticed something. Paul, the Maddog fisherman, was anchored in his kayak. Happily fishing and also doing quite well. I started out close to him but very slowly I was drifting away. Not noticeable at first, but soon I realized the scenery was changing. So I would paddle back over to him and start over. Oops, same result.
Wow, in life it is so the same way. Without being anchored we just drift however the world may blow us. Not fast, not obvious but still drifting away. And it may not big huge sin issues. Could be just the way we do church, or more often...not being the church, the hands and feet of Jesus.
We are encouraged in John 14 to stay attached to the vine. Then, and only then, are we able to stay in the place God wants us to be.
Attach yourself to the Vine today. Set aside time to get to know Him. To hear Him. To learn to love Him deeper and find out how much He loves you.
How do you stay attached to the Vine?
