TRANSFORMED BY DOING

 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV 

Scholars tell us that this excellent piece of wisdom was written by King Solomon over 3000 years ago. It is a powerful passage that instructs us to put our full trust in God, relying on Him for everything, and He will guide our lives. It also warns us not to trust in our own thinking, feeling and understanding more than we do God and His word. I love this passage and it has helped me through a lot of hard and difficult times. 

Solomon was a wise man. Unfortunately he didn't always follow his own God-given wisdom. Though he started out as a man of great faith and trust in God, in the later years of his life, he turned away from God, trusted his own wisdom and even worshipped other gods. Though he succeeded from a worldly standpoint, he failed in the most important area of his life - his relationship with God. Want to know how bad things were for Solomon? Read the book of Ecclesiastes. 

The point is, just knowing the Bible and the wisdom of the Bible is not enough, we have to live it. We have to put God's word into practice ... Every. Day. 

Jesus taught, at the end of the Sermon on the Mount, that God's blessings come not from just hearing His word, but from doing His word. As one of my former professors said, "The Bible wasn't given to us just for information, it was given to us for our transformation." 

We are transformed not by just knowing what the Bible says, but by doing what the Bible teaches. 

Read more posts at my site, High Places

Learning From the Little Ones

 

This coming Sunday we will continue our study of Luke 18 at Grace Point Church. The passage we are looking at is a beautiful teaching moment Jesus has with His disciples. Some parents were bringing their children to be blessed by Jesus, but His disciples stopped them from coming, thinking they would be bothering the Master. But Jesus corrects them and tells them, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children." (v.16). And then He makes this powerful statement, "I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” (v.17)

Wow, that is a pretty significant statement: Unless you receive the Kingdom of God like a child, you aren't getting in. What is it about children that would cause Jesus to make a statement like that? What is He wanting us to learn from the little ones? 

In thinking about this passage, I think there are Four Childlike Characteristics that are important to Jesus, and He wants us to know: 

1. Total Dependence - The word that is used in v.15 for "children" is "brephos" and refers to a very young child, typically an infant or newborn. It can also refer to a pre-born baby in it's mother's womb. Luke uses the term for Elizabeth's unborn baby that leaps within her womb when the expecting Mary comes to her. In the Greco-Roman world, infants were often seen as the most vulnerable members of society, dependent entirely on their parents or guardians for survival. 

The point here is that entrance into God's Kingdom means that we are totally dependent on Him for our salvation. As Paul writes in Ephesians, "God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it." (Ephesians 2:8-9).

B. Fearless Faith - Scientist tell us that we are all born with only two fears - the fear of falling, and the fear of loud noises. All other fears are learned as we grow, and sometimes the learning comes from hard experiences. Kids seem to have a fearless faith that they can do anything their minds imagine - anything from flying by jumping off a rooftop, or running across the road before the car can hit them. Parents have to teach kids safe boundaries, but in doing so, sometimes we instill a fear of failure or adventure into their lives. 

It is interesting that when Jesus called His first disciples, He didn't call them to develop a systematic theology, or a Robert's Rules of Order for obedience. He didn't even ask them to believe in Him in the beginning. He just said, "Come, follow Me ..." By nature, faith requires risk, and following Jesus implies movement. As Henry Blackaby says in his book Experiencing God, “You cannot stay the way you are and go with God.” We are called to follow Jesus with fearless faith. 

C. Innocent Optimism - I've never met a kid who was afraid to ask for what he/she really wanted. Infants have a way of letting their parents know when they need something even before they can talk. And once they start talking, they have no fear in asking for anything and everything. It comes natural to them. As they grow, they learn they can't have everything on the toy aisle, or everything in the commercials on TV and that life is hard and sometimes (most times) things don't go the way we think they should. It is easy to become jaded and lose our optimism. 

But Jesus tells us that our hope is not in the things of this world, but in Him. Jesus once told His disciples that it is hard for a rich person to get into heaven and His disciples were amazed and said, "Who then can be saved?" Jesus replied, “What is impossible for people is possible with God.” (Luke 18:27) We worship and serve the God who can do anything, therefore we shouldn't be afraid to trust Him to do great things. As William Carey said, "Attempt great things for God, expect great things from God."

D. Infectious Enthusiasm - This may be what I love most about kids - when something catches their attention, they act like it is the greatest thing in the world. I love Christmas because I get to see the wonder and amazement on the faces of my kids and grandkids. My grandkids are excited about their presents and gifts, and my kids are excited that their children are excited, and that excites me. It's infectious. When I see my grandkids playing enthusiastically with their toys, I want to join them (even if I don't understand the game, lol). 

Jesus tells His followers in Matthew 5:16, "Let your light shine before others, so they may see your good works and glorify your Heavenly Father." Letting our light shine means serving God with enthusiasm and joy, so that others can see God in us. Perhaps the worst witness for the Lord in world is a "Christian" who has lost his/her enthusiasm for the Lord and for His Kingdom. 

I'm sure there are more characteristics of children Jesus had in mind when He was teaching His disciples. These are just the ones that He brought to my mind. Feel free to share yours in the comments section below. 

Successful in Prayer

 

I just finished reading Roger Steer's book, "George Muller: Delighted in God," the biography of one of histories greatest men. I have read this book numerous times over the years because it is so inspirational (and convicting) to me.

George Muller (1805-1898) was a German pastor who moved to Bristol, England and founded the Ashley Down Orphanage as way to glorify God and show the world that God still answers prayer. In the life of his ministry, Muller asked only God for provision and supplies for the ministry and for his own personal life (he never took a regular salary from the church he pastored, or from the orphanage.) During his 70+ years of ministry, he provided care for more than 10,000 orphans, and stewarded what would today be more than 10 million dollars. That alone would be remarkable, but Muller also started the Scriptural Knowledge Institute (SKI) that established 117 schools worldwide which offered Christian education to more than 120,000 kids. SKI also provided financial and material support to many missionaries including Hudson Taylor and the China Inland Mission. AND in the later years of his life, at the age of 71 Muller and his wife began traveling for evangelistic preaching. In 17 years of evangelism, they traveled more than 200,000 miles and visited more than 20 countries preaching the gospel. All the funds needed for these ministries and more came in answer to prayer. (BTW, his ministry is still active today, you can learn more at georgemuller.org) 

His name has become a by-word for prayer and faith throughout the world, but Muller insisted that he was just an ordinary man who believed God answered prayer. And he believed that anyone could experience the same as he, if they would just pray as the Bible teaches us to pray. At the funeral of his friend Henry Moorhouse, George Müller outlined four conditions of successful prayer. 

1. We must pray in accordance with God's will. 

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 1 John 5:14 NIV Muller taught that if you were uncertain if a matter was according to God's will, you must pray about it until you are sure of God's will, and then pray according to God's will on the matter. 

2. We must not pray and ask on our own goodness and merit, but "in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ." 

And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. John 14:13-14 NIV. We must not ask because we “deserve” it or have “earned” it. At this point, Müller emphasized the importance of regular confession of sin and repentance. Psalm 66:18 says, “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.” “‘That is,’ he said, ‘if I live in sin, and go on in a course hateful to God, I may not expect my prayers to be answered.'”

3. We must ask in faith of God's power and His willingness to answer our prayers. 

"This is deeply important," Müller said. "In Mark 11:24 we read, 'Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.' … I have found invariably that in the fifty-four years and nine months during which I have been a believer, that if I only believed I was sure to get, in God’s time, the thing I asked for." Müller offers proof of God’s power and love in the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

4. Persevere! "We have to continue patiently waiting on God till the blessing we seek is granted." 

Müller said, “For observe, nothing is said in the text as to the time in which, or the circumstances under which, the prayer is to be answered. ‘Ask, and you will receive.'” We must keep asking, seeking, and knocking until we receive from the Lord the blessing He has promised. 

In his life, Muller recorded more than 50,000 answers to specific prayers in his prayer journal. More than 30,000 were answered within the hour or day in which they were asked, others weren't answered until after his death. But Muller believed God would and did answer all of his prayers. 

May we do the same!

Sharing the Gospel at Christmas: A Call to Boldness

 

Christmas is a time of joy, celebration, and reflection. As Christians, we have the unique opportunity to share the true meaning of this season with those around us. Luke 2:17 tells us, "Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child." This verse inspires us to spread the Good News of Christ's birth and the hope it brings.

1. Be Prepared to Share Your Testimony

The shepherds in the Christmas story had a personal encounter with the newborn Jesus. Their experience transformed them, and they couldn't help but share what they had seen and heard. Similarly, our own experiences with Christ should shape our witness. Be ready to share your personal testimony of how Christ has impacted your life. God can use your story to be a powerful tool to draw others to Him, but you have to be prepared to share it. 

2. Seize Opportunities to Share the Gospel

Christmas provides many opportunities to share the gospel. Whether it's through casual conversations with friends and family, volunteering at a local charity, or participating in church events, be intentional about looking for ways to share the love of Christ. Remember, every interaction is a potential moment to plant a seed of faith.

3. Use Creative Ways to Share the Gospel

In today's digital age, there are countless creative ways to share the gospel. Consider using social media to share inspiring Christmas messages, create personalized Christmas cards with a gospel message, or organize a Christmas party with a gospel theme. Get creative and find ways to share the Good News that resonate with people's hearts.

As we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ this Christmas, let us be inspired by the shepherds' example and share the Good News with those around us. May our words and actions point others to the true meaning of Christmas – the love and salvation offered by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

God and Gold Medals

 

But now the Lord declares: "Far be it from me! Those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disdained." 1 Samuel 2:30 NIV

Before this year, the Summer Olympics were last held in France 100 years ago in 1924. One of the stars of the 1924 Olympic Games was a runner named Eric Liddell. Known as the "Flying Scotsman," Liddell went to Paris as the favorite to win gold in the 100 meter, However when the races were scheduled, the 100 meter was to be on Sunday. A devout Christian, raised by missionary parents in China, Liddell refused to participate. He claimed Sunday was the Lord's Day, a day of rest not competition. Teammates, friends and even politicians pressured and begged him to change his mind, but he refused. It was determined that he would run the 400 meter that would be on a different day. 

No one expected Liddell to do very well in the 400 since he had not really trained for it. Some people even criticized him for his religious faith. One reporter wrote that Liddell "...should look down the track rather than look up to the sky.” Just before he headed to the stadium to compete in the 400m finals a trainer gave him a note that read, “ In the Old Book it says, “He that honors Me, him I will honor”1Samuel 2:30. To everyone's surprise, he not only won the gold medal, Liddell also broke the Olympic and world records for the 400 meter at the time. He would also win bronze in the 200 meter. 

Soon after the Paris Olympics, Liddell married his fiancée and began to serve as a missionary with the London Missionary Society's mission in China, where his parents had been worked and where he had been born. When the Japanese invaded China at the start of WW2 Liddell decided to stay and minister to others. Eventually, Liddell was captured and imprisoned in a Japanese internment camp. When he had an opportunity to be freed, he declined a prisoner swap so an expectant mother could go home. He ministered daily to those around him. Even in prison, not a day passed that Eric did not spend time reading Scripture and praying. He surrendered himself to be used of God in a prison camp.

In 1945 Liddell developed an an inoperable brain tumor. As he lay dying, he reminded those attending him to surrender everything to the will of God. While slipping into a coma, he was heard trying to say the word that typified his life – “surrender.” He died in a Japanese prison camp, but fellow prisoners said, “Jesus Christ was among us because we saw Him in Eric Liddell."

Eric Liddell received a gold medal in the 1924 Olympics for his efforts in a competition, but he received something greater than a gold medal from the Lord for his surrender to Christ. Friends, don't waste your life living for the wrong things, live the the eternal. 

(The film "Chariots of Fire" (1981) told the story of Eric Liddell and the Olympic Games.)

Fear Doesn't Stand A Chance

Every morning for the last couple of weeks I have woken up with the chorus of this song stuck in my head. I'm thankful, (there are worse things I could have stuck in my brain, like "Baby shark, doo doo doo doo doo doo..." See what I mean?)

This morning, while H.E.A.R. journaling through Matthew, I came to Matthew 8:23-27 where Jesus gets on a boat to get away from the crowds, and His disciples got on with Him. As they were on the Sea of Galilee a great storm blew up, (fairly common for that area) and the boat was taking on water. The disciples were frantically trying to keep the ship afloat, but Jesus was asleep in the boat. In desperation they woke Him up and asked Him to save them for they felt like they were about to sink.  Jesus gets up, not panicked at all; He speaks first to His disciples (perhaps in a “scolding” way), “Why are you afraid, where is your faith?” Then He speaks to the storm, and there was a great calm came over the sea. And those who were on the boat were amazed at Jesus wondering, “Who is this that even nature obeys Him?”

What a picture of life - I am following Jesus and thinking it will be smooth sailing because He is there. Then the storms of life hit (which He promised would happen) and I frantically try to keep the ship afloat, thinking I can do it if I just work hard enough, if I just have the right strategy or follow the right formula. Finally in desperation and fear, I cry out to Jesus for help, because my situation seems hopeless and it seems like I'm going down with the ship. And He responds by reminding me that I have no reason to fear, only to believe. Then He speaks and the storm passes, I survive, and all is well... until the next time, LOL. 

I've repeated this scene so many times in my life, you'd think I would have learned by now... and I am learning...slowly... it's a process. Fear and faith don't go together - one drives out the other - but I decide which one drives. So the Lord reminds me again, my fear doesn’t stand a chance when I live in faith and stand in His love, and so I ask Him (again) to forgive me when I forget to believe, and we're off again... 

Storms will come and go, but Jesus will always be there, and when we live in faith in Him, His presence, His love and grace, and His power ... our fear doesn't stand a chance!  

J.O.Y. at Christmas

This past Wednesday we re-read the story of the angel making the announcement of Jesus' birth to the shepherds in the fields of Judea (Luke 2:8-20). The angel prefaces the announcement of the Messiah with the words - "I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people..." (v.10, emphasis added). Our group discussed how a missing element for many people during the Christmas season is "great joy." For a lot of people, including many Christians, Christmas is a time of great stress and frustration, much of it self-induced by trying to have the "perfect Christmas." The celebration of this glorious event has been overwhelmed by commercialism, perfectionism and a lot of other "isms" that distract us from the main message of Christmas - the Messiah has come!

I shared, using the acronym J.O.Y. and the story of the shepherds, how we can get back our Christmas joy. This isn't original with me, and it is a little cliche, but here is the truth if you want to experience the "great joy" the angels were talking about.

J - Jesus first
Again, it is cliche, but He is "the reason for the season." Christmas is about Christ and if you want to experience great joy at Christmas, your focus has to be on Him. Jesus was a priority for the shepherds - after the angel gave them the good news that the Messiah was born in Bethlehem, the shepherds left their sheep and went to Bethlehem to find the Messiah. Think about that - they were shepherds, but they left their flocks to find the Great Shepherd. Tending those sheep wasn't just their jobs, it was their livelihood, it was their lives. But they "laid down their lives" and left their sheep in the field to go find the Messiah. They didn't let their jobs, or anything else keep them from Jesus. He was their focus, and they didn't stop when till they found Him. And after they found him, they returned "glorifying and praising God for all they had seen and heard..." (v.20) Yep, when they focused on Jesus, they got the JOY, JOY, JOY, JOY down in their hearts!

So what is your focus this Christmas season - getting your work done, buying gifts, decorating the house, cooking the food, planning the family gathering?  None of those are bad things, and they do need to be done, but none of those things should keep us from Jesus. He is to be the focus of all that we do. Jesus said in Matthew 6:33, "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and everything else will be added unto you." Whatever you are doing this Christmas season, keep your mind on Christ, and Christ on your mind.

O - Others
The good news of great joy wasn't just for the shepherds, it was for all people. And after the shepherds had come to Jesus they "they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child." (v17). They didn't keep the good news to themselves, they shared it with others, everywhere.

The Great Commandment says we are to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength, AND to love others like we love ourselves. Christmas is about Jesus, but it is also about letting others know about Him as well. You probably already have people in your circle of influence that need a "squirt of joy" for Christmas - what can you do to make that happen? Bake some goodies and take to emergency workers who can't be with their families during the holidays? Buy a few pair of socks and visit some elderly people in nursing homes? Invite a neighbor to join in your family celebration of Christmas? Ask the Lord who you need to reach out to, He's pretty good at communicating those kind of things.

Y - You
The angel made the message personal for the shepherds - "I bring YOU good news of great joy..." (v.10) Shepherds weren't generally well thought of in those days. They spent a lot of time with sheep and probably smelled a lot like them. It's kind of remarkable that when it came time to announce the birth of the Messiah, the angel didn't go to the priests, the rabbis, the Pharisees, the kings or any of those in authority; he came to the shepherds who were generally ignored or looked down upon. They may have even felt like they were the forgotten ones of their culture, but God doesn't forget or overlook anyone and He sent a personal message to them - a message of good news of great joy!

If God didn't overlook the shepherds, it's not likely He will overlook you either. His message of good news of great joy is for you also... so receive it, internalize it and let the good news that the Christ has come for YOU saturate your mind and infect every area of your life this Christmas season!
Jesus loves you and He has come to bring you great joy!

Saturday Sermon: "Deeply Wounded" 1 Kings 17:1-9

Last Sunday I began a new sermon series on the lives and ministries of two of the Old Testaments most significant prophets - Elijah and Elisha. These two ordinary men were used powerfully by their extraordinary God to show their people who the One True God was/is. As we study their lives, we will learn some important truths about the God we worship and serve today.

To prepare for the next message on Sunday morning, you can listen to the previous message here. Last Sunday we were introduced to the prophet Elijah and learned that God was preparing him for a significant event on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18). God's plan was to teach Elijah to be totally dependent on Him, and the lesson came through a very difficult episode in Elijah's life. One of the important lessons we learned about the One true God is that “Before God can use us greatly, He must wound us deeply.” Listen to the sermon below to learn how that truth played out in Elijah's life.

Remembering Billy Graham

“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. Matthew 7:24-25 (NLT)

This week our world lost an amazing person; Rev. Billy Graham was/is a man respected and honored throughout the world. As an evangelist Rev. Graham preached more than 400 crusades in 178 countries to more than 2.15 million people in person (and numberless others through radio, TV, print media, Internet and more). In the history of our world, no one has touched more lives with the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ than Billy Graham, and hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of people are following the Lord today because of his ministry and the ministry of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

"Billy Frank" as he was called by family and friends, grew up on a dairy farm near Charlotte, NC. His parents were devout followers of Christ, but Billy showed little interest in the Lord early on. When he was 15, the churches of Charlotte hosted a city-wide tent revival with evangelist Mordecai Ham. Billy hadn't planned on attending the meetings but a friend offered to let young Billy drive his truck to pick up kids for the crusade. During the week, Billy heard the gospel and responded in repentance and faith. Soon he felt the call to preach and left Charlotte to gain an education with stops at Bob Jones University, the Florida Bible Institute and finally graduating from Wheaton College.

In 1945 Billy was hired as an evangelist for a fledgling ministry, Youth for Christ. He joined fellow evangelist Chuck Templeton, traveling the country and eastern Europe preaching the gospel at revivals and crusades on college campuses. Templeton was an excellent communicator and some believe, a more effective evangelist than Graham. But as time went on, Templeton began to experience doubts about the gospel and questions about the authority of Scripture. Templeton would eventually leave the ministry and the faith for a career in broadcasting, but his doubts and questions began to affect Billy as well. Graham began to struggle in his faith and preaching.

In 1949, a few weeks prior to a scheduled crusade in Los Angeles, Graham was staying at the Forest Home Christian Camp in the Big Bear area of Southern California. He would take walks in the woods and mountains praying yet struggling with his faith. Finally, one day while Graham was in the woods, he laid his Bible on a tree stump, fell to his knees and cried out to God and committed himself to preaching the Bible as the infallible word of God. He acknowledged there were some things in the Bible he did not understand, but he would accept them by faith and build his life and ministry on the authority of God's word.

The rest, as they say, is history. His 1949 Los Angeles Crusade launched Graham into the national spotlight. A tent revival that was scheduled to run three weeks lasted eight weeks. More than 350,000 people attended and more than 3,000 made professions of faith in Christ, including Stuart Hamblen, an entertainer and radio personality. Hamblen told of his conversion on his radio program and it caught the attention of William Randolph Hearst, newspaper tycoon who sent news of Graham's crusade across the nation. It was also during this crusade that Olympian and former prisoner of war Louis Zamperini came to Christ (watch the movie "Unbroken" to learn Louis' story). Graham would go on to found the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association to further spread the good news of the gospel of Christ. Billy Graham's work and ministry will continue for many more years to come.

Billy Graham made a crucial decision in 1949, to build his life and ministry by faith on the word of God. And because of that decision his "house" still stands and will be standing for generations to come. God's word is true and powerful ... are you building your life on His word?

Everyone has a story - Sharing yours

 "... if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it." 1 Peter 3:15

On Sunday mornings we have been studying through Acts 13-28 in a series called "Always on Mission." We've been following the life of the apostle Paul, a man who fully lived his life on mission for the Lord. Yesterday, (Feb 12) we looked at Acts 22 where Paul gives tells his savlation story before an angry mob who wanted to execute him. He also gives his testimony in Acts 26 before Herod Agrippa and Festus.

When Paul tells his story, he follows a distinct pattern: what his life was like before he met Christ, how he encountered Christ, how Christ changed his life, and what Christ has been doing in his life recently. It is a great pattern to follow to learn how to share your testimony.

CRU Ministries (formerly Campus Crusade for Christ) has a worksheet to help Christians develop their testimony. Take a few minutes to work through these questions so you can tell others what God has done in your life:

My Life Before Christ

• What about my life before Christ will relate most to the non-Christians I know?
• What did my life revolve around? Where did I get my security, identity or happiness from?  
• How did those things begin to let me down?

How I Came to Christ

• When was the first time I heard the gospel? What were my initial reactions?
• When and why did my perspective begin to change toward Christ?
• What were the final struggles that went through my mind just before I accepted Him? Why did I finally decide to accept Christ (or give Him complete control of my life)?

My Life After Coming to Christ

• How is my life different now? List some specific changes in your character, attitude and perspective on life.
• What motivates me now? What do I live for?
• Even though my life still isn’t perfect, how does knowing Christ help me deal with that fact?

I would add What Christ is Doing in My Life Today as a conclusion to your testimony. Having a relationship with the Lord means we should be able to give evidence of that relationship in our day to day lives.

Take a few minutes to write out your story as if you were telling it to someone, and then pray for opportunities to share your story.

Prayer: Trust God's Timing and His Answer

And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him,and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John." Luke 1:12-13

 A couple of weeks ago I was preaching on "Christmas Fear" and looking at some of the Christmas story characters from the Scriptures. I read the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth, the elderly parents of John the Baptist. Zechariah was serving as a priest in the Temple when an angel appeared to him to tell him he would soon be a father. Naturally Zechariah was troubled and the angel assured him, saying:  

“Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John." (Luke 1:13) What caught my attention was the phrase, "for your prayer has been heard." My first thought was, "What prayer?" 

Scripture doesn't record Zechariah's prayer for us, but the context of the Scripture indicates that he had been praying for a child, particularly a son. We also don't know how long he had been praying for a child, but he was an older man when this happened, so we can assume he had been praying this prayer for many years. 

What would have happened in the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth if God had answered their request for a baby immediately? What if God had said "Yes" earlier in their lives? They would have gotten a sweet little baby that they would have loved and cherished. But God delayed the request for a number of years, and then when He answered, He gave them John the Baptist, the cousin of Jesus Christ, the only prophet to see the prophecies of Jesus fulfilled, and the forerunner of the Messiah.

Sometimes God doesn't answer our prayers when we pray them, because He has something better in mind. He has a bigger plan and purpose and He can see the end from the beginning. If God had answered some of my prayers exactly as I’d asked them, I would have gotten shortchanged. His answers were much greater than my requests. 

This is a great reason to keep praying, and not give up. God has something better in mind for us, we just have to trust Him with the outcome of our prayers, and trust His timing. 

Share the Word

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Romans 10:17

     Writer Robert Morgan tells the story of Dr. Doren Edwards, a surgeon in Franklin, Tennessee. Dr. Edwards is a devout Christian and is involved in the Gideons International. Several years ago he had a patient whose alcoholic husband had died. Her two children were giving her problems, finances were tight, and life was very hard. She wasn’t a Christian.

One day she came to see Dr. Edwards after she had been diagnosed cancer, with multiple organs involved. No treatment was available, and she was very bitter about it; life had been very hard and now she was dying. Dr. Edwards wanted to talk with her about the Lord, but she wouldn’t allow him to share his witness. She did, however, accept a small New Testament that he kept in his office.

 A few weeks later, Doctor Edwards learned from the newspaper obituary that she had died. He sent a card to the family, telling them he had donated Bibles in her memory to the Gideons. 

A few days later the woman’s daughter called Dr. Edwards. “Could you please send us a Bible like the ones you donated in memory of our mother,” she asked. “We don’t have a Bible in our home. The last six days she was alive, Mama's whole life changed. She was no longer bitter, she was at peace and she wasn’t afraid to die. She said something about knowing Jesus, but she asked that her Bible be buried in her hand, and we couldn’t keep it. Would you please send us a Bible so that we can find what Mama found in that book?” 

Dr. Edwards sent them all Bibles, and soon afterwards the daughter, the son, and one of the woman's sisters were saved as a result. 

There are many ways to share the Gospel: Bibles, cards, letters, text messages, personal testimony, etc. Think about a person you could give the gift of the Gospel to, and then do it.

GOD IS ABLE

Have you ever had those times when you wonder what in the world you are doing in life. Today is my day off and I've enjoyed the down time. I took my oldest daughter to get two wisdom teeth out this morning and everything went well. Came home and mowed the front yard before realizing it's still winter time. Worked on some laundry and then watched some baseball. I've really gotten away from baseball the last couple of years; I'm a Cubs fan so there's not been much reason to keep up with baseball (Cubs lost their opener today too).

I've also been reading a book by Pastor Stephen Furtick of Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC. I'm enjoying the book, it is very inspiring. It's wonderful how God has blessed Furtick's ministry and the exponential growth of Elevation. Furtick seems to be a pretty ordinary guy with great faith in a great God. The book is titled "Sun Stand Still" and it is based on Joshua's prayer in Josh. 10:12, where he prays for the sun to "stand still" in the sky so he and the Israelites can finish off the enemy. It's an impossibility that God grants him. Furtick attributes the success of his ministry and his church to the power of God that is activated by audacious faith and radical obedience; praying "sun stand still" kind of prayers, and acting in faith.

I love reading these kinds of books - I'm both encouraged and challenged. Encouraged because I love to read about great moves of God that transforms lives and grows His Church. Several of the stories have brought me to tears. But challenged because I have in my heart the desire to be involved in a great move of God. I've sensed it for years, I've prayed for it, and at times I thought I would experience it, and while I have seen the hand of the Lord at work in my life and in our church, it's nothing on the scale of what I feel in my heart.

I turn 46 next week (which maybe the reason I'm a little reflective and moody), and I'm wondering what I have done in my life that has brought glory to God and impacted this world for my King. I struggle with the fact that what I feel that God has put in my heart hasn't become a reality, and I'm wondering if it ever will. I know the answers that I would give to others in my situation - "it's God's job to do the work, your job is to be faithful no matter what; God's in the little things; every small act done in Christ's name brings reward in heaven." I know all the answers, but none of them seem to satisfy.

I'm thankful for all that God has let me be a part of in my life. There's no doubt I have been blessed time and time again; I don't want to come across as ungrateful, but I yearn for more. I long for an ability to lead people to a life-changing encounter with God. I yearn for a genuine revival in my life and the church where lives are changed, souls are saved, relationships are restored, ministries are started and worked, and each week or day we see the mighty hand of God moving on His people. I long to be a part of a great move of God that brings Him glory and brings me the sense of "this is it, this is what I've created you for, this is what I put in your heart."

The Lord is stirring something in me, I don't know where it will lead, but I'm ready for God to do something great, I'm ready for the sun to stand still for the glory of God. I pray He moves soon.

Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. 1 Tim 1:17 (NKJV)

Great Bible study last night! We talked about “A Leader’s Passion”. Paul was passionate about truth, about Jesus, and about relationships. He was especially passionate about Jesus. As he was writing to Timothy about what Christ had done in his life and what Christ meant to him, he broke out in the wonderful verse of praise above. He was so moved for his love by Christ, he couldn’t help but praise him, even in a letter.

What are you passionate about? When was the last time you were so overwhelmed by the grace and goodness of God that you broke out into a song of praise to Him. May our hearts be hot for Jesus, the Savior of our souls and the redeemer of our lives!

We welcomed Lilli Roberts to our family of faith last night. Lilli prayed to receive Christ as her Savior a couple of weeks ago at a First Priority event at her school. Her dad, Trevor will baptize her this coming Sunday morning.

I can’t wait for Sunday! Baptism, the Lord’s Supper, worship and praise and a word from the Lord! A few years ago one of our former Youth Pastors preached a sermon on Elijah on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18). He titled it, “When You Show Up, God Shows Out.” Often all God is waiting on to do something great, is for His people to show up. I wonder how many miracles we’ve missed being a part of just because we didn’t give God a chance to work.

I hope you’ll show up in faith expecting God to do something supernatural this weekend. God is just waiting to show you how great He really is.

See you Sunday!