The Certainty in times of Uncertainty

You do not have to look to long to know we live in uncertain times. Trouble in the Middle East, a struggle economy, and anxiety in our daily lives all add up to a sense of uncertainty. During times like these it can be very easy to lose focus and become anxious about these uncertain times. However that is not what Christ calls us to do. In fact he tells us over and over not be anxious, do not let our hearts be troubled and fear not. 

Today I came across this nugget of scripture again from Psalm 37 and it reminded me of the certainty in times of uncertainty. 

²³ The LORD makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him;
²⁴ though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand.  

²⁵ I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.   

I purposely separated verse 25 from verses 23 and 24. Because it reminds me of the certainty that comes from putting our trust in God. The psalmist (David) reminds us that over the course of his lifetime he has seen the faithfulness of God. 


This is my prayer today...
Dear Lord let me delight in you today to the point I feel your hand lifting me up. Remind me of the promise of David, that you never forsake the one's who seek righteous. May I live in such away that I experience Your certainty in these uncertain times. 


Amen    

Sunday Night Reflections

A Few Thoughts From an Amazing Day...

• Preached at West Orange Christian Church this morning for their Faith Promise Rally.
• Loved the worship and I realized I know very few praise songs that deal with our need to send the gospel to the world.
• We sang an old hymn today, We've story to tell to the nations, the chorus is really powerful; For the darkness shall turn to dawning and the dawning to noonday bright and Christ's great kingdom shall come to earth, the kingdom of love and light.
• May that be the goal of every church, to bring Christ's great kingdom to earth.
• This small church pledged over $22,000 for missions over the next 12 months over and above their regular giving. 
• It is always exciting to see people step out in faith.
• Preached from the book of Jonah this morning.
• This small book book is loaded with profound truths about doing God's will.
• To me the main focus of the book of Jonah is not Jonah's reluctance to do God's will, but God's pursuit to include Jonah in his divine plan.
• Every day we have a choice, will we run from God's plan or will we live for God's plan? 
• The last two weeks I have had the occasion to represent Florida Christian College to a couple of churches, both churches were filled with gracious people.
• May we remember to be gracious when we gather as the people of God.
• Spent yesterday with some gracious servants at FCC, the ladies there are true servants of Christ.
• As Kathy and I reflect on our future, I came across this blog post regarding prayer this past week - it's good!  
• Next week we are back at River Run Brevard, looking forward to worshiping with our friends and hearing Dan preach.

Lessons from Pew #7

My free time has allowed me to catch up on my reading over the last few weeks. One of the most interesting books has been the The Devil in Pew Number 7 by Rebecca Nichols Alonzo. It is a true story of one man's assault on another man and his family. Alonzo shows her readers the devastating effects of jealousy, anger and selfishness when hatred goes unchecked. I will not give the story away, but trust me you need to read this book. The main lesson of this book is  the amazing power of forgiveness. Alonzo calls forgiveness the language of heaven. Jesus wants us to be fluent in speaking forgiveness to one another. He wants forgiveness to be on the tip of our tongue. You and I have an obligation to forgive because we have been forgiven much. However, when we fail to forgive we can can go down a pathway of retaliation and rage that leads us to the pit of Hell.

Alonzo reminds us four truths when we do not show forgiveness to others...

1. My sins will not be forgiven by God if I refuse to forgive who have sinned against me. 
2. I miss an opportunity to show God's love to an unforgiving world
3. I'm the one who remains in jail when I withhold God's grace by failing to forgive
4. If I am having trouble with forgiving it may be that I am angry with God, not at the person who wronged me.  

While forgiveness is not easy it is expected of Christ followers who desire to honor God with their lives. One of the most powerful quotes for the book is found on page 260...

I'm the keeper of the door of my heart. To love and forgive others as I've been loved and forgiven by Jesus, I have to guard what I allow to take root in my heart. If I open my heart to self pity, anger, grudges, and unforgivingness, I give the enemy of my soul and invitation into a very expensive home - a home purchased by the blood of Jesus. But as I become fluent in the language of heaven, as I open the door of my heart to Jesus and in His strength forgive others, that is when I am set free.  

Let me encourage you to pick up Pew #7 and discover how forgiveness works even in the most difficult of situations.   

Sun Stand Still

I recently finished reading Steve Furtick's book, "Sun Stand Still". The subtitle reads; what happens when you dare to ask God for the impossible. The title comes from the event in Joshua's life when he asked God for the sun to stand still in Joshua 10. Furtick challenges all of us to become people who ask God for what seems to be the impossible, by praying with an audacious faith. Here are some of the highlights from his book, the page numbers are in parentheses...

• Please don't wait until you have 100% certainty to follow Jesus boldly. (73)
• You do not get to participate in a high calling without paying a high cost. (79) 
• When you ask God to do the impossible, He usually asks you to do something uncomfortable. (80)
• Sometimes God has to let YOUR dream die so that His VISION for you can come alive. (86)
• If there is no limit to what God can do, then there is also no limit to what we can dream or pray or accomplish in His service. (99)
• You can't claim God's promises if you do not know God's promises. (110)
• Our audacious faith is not built on the fault line of feelings or the flood plain of our performance. We build our faith on the faithfulness of God. (124)
• Sun Stand Still prayers aren't about changing God's mind. They are about changing your heart, activating your faith and developing your confidence in God's word and character. (162) 

These are just a few of the quotes I found inspiring in the book. So if you are looking for a book that will inspire you as well as give you some pointers regarding prayer I would recommend SUN STAND STILL. 

    

Sunday Night Reflections

A Few Thoughts From An Amazing Day...

• Preached for the first time in 5 weeks - I was energized!
• Worshiped with the fine folks at First Christian Church Frostproof this morning. This genuine family of God is really focused on doing life together.
• Though the church is small in number their joy in worship was very noticeable.
• All the music was hymn focused and it was done very well.
• This morning's topic was on my favorite subject; Grace. 
• Question, are you a grace dispenser or a grace consumer?
• Grace dispensers own their thorns, depend on God and serve others in the most unlikely of ways.
• Grace consumers on the other hand; take more than they give, spend more than they invest and focus on themselves rather than others. 
• Finished the book The Devil in Pew Number 7 this past week. This true story is an unbelievable tale of what happens when hate grips a person's life and the lengths they will go when their personal agenda supersedes all other matters.
• Kathy and I had a great time with old friends this week. I am so thankful for my years in ministry; because of ministry I have developed some very rich relationships over the years. 

Sunday Night Reflections

A Few Thoughts From An Amazing Day...

• Great Worship Today at River Run, I especially enjoyed the sax solo!
• Dan's message on "Faithfulness when no one is around" was very timely.
• We are to be faithful in the "Little Details", in "Times of Temptation" and when we are "Treated Unfairly".
• Key thought #1, You will remain the same until the pain of remaining the same becomes greater than the pain of change.
• Key thought #2, It is not a matter of getting more of the Holy Spirit; It is a matter of allowing the Holy Spirit to get more of you!
• It has been 2 days since my granddads's funeral and I realize more than ever how fortunate I was to have a grandfather like him!
• I am extremely thankful for all of the kind words, cards and notes of encouragement regarding my grandfather's passing.
• I have to agree with Bill Hybles, there is no other organization on earth like the body of Christ; when operating correctly the church has the power to make changes like no other organization known to man.
• This is my 52nd Sunday Night Reflection, a lot has happened in the past year and I am still reflecting on the last 12 months. Lots of changes as well as some ups and downs, but it has not been boring.
• Steve Furtick is right on with his recent blog post regarding keeping the aquarium 
• Speaking of Steve Furtick, if you have not read his book "Sun Stand Still" you are missing a good read regarding audacious faith. 
• I believe legalism is going to be the death of many of our churches. I do not have a particular church in mind, I just believe legalism is a recipe for disaster and inhibits the growth of the church.  

Good Bye For Now

Today was my grandfather's funeral.  Granddaddy lived a wonderful life, he lived 94 years and it was a life well lived. He leaves behind 6 children, 15 grandchildren, 28 great grandchildren; 10 great-great grandchildren. Including the spouses of the children and grandchildren, 81 people are able to call him daddy or Granddaddy. What an incredible legacy. Back in September I posted a blog titled, Lessons from my grandfather, there were ten things I learned from my grandfather, but the truth be known there were many more. Before his death a minister friend of mine shared my post with my grandfather. My grandfather commented, "That he did not know I felt that way about Him" I am glad my friend shared with him my post, but more than that I am glad I had the opportunity to share with my granddad a few life lessons that have made a difference in my life. Many people go through this life touching a few lives, but my grandfather impacted generations by his life and his witness. So today as we returned to the church to share in a family meal, I could not help but think we are very fortunate to have such a family bond that was fostered by my grandparents and while we said good bye today, we all knew it was simply a temporary farewell. For one day we shall see my grandparents again and we long for that day - so good bye for now, we look forward to seeing you again. We love you granddaddy!    

Sunday Night Reflections

A Few Thoughts from an Amazing Day...

• Great Worship today, Band did a great job with Marvelous Light. Josh is truly a gifted Worship Leader. 
• Mitch spoke on the topic of Kindness - used a little known story yet it had a powerful application.
• Excellent Quote from Mark Twain; Kindness is the language the deaf can hear and the blind can read.
• One of the marks of genuine kindness is when you can show kindness to someone who cannot return the favor. 
• Mitch encouraged us to be kind to others for one reason; we are all Mephiboseth, we are crippled by sin, yet Christ showed us kindness and one day we will sit at the king's table - good point!
• The people of RR Brevard have shown great deal of kindness to my family the last 3 weeks, for which we are truly appreciative. 
• Attended FCC trustee's meeting Saturday, we have a great group of men and women who are exhibiting very wise leadership at the college. 
• Great time at the super bowl party tonight, good food and great friends!
• Favorite Commercials; Bridgestone Beaver and Pepsi Can Thrower.
• I'm preaching in 2 weeks; can't wait! 
• My 94 year old grandfather's health is failing fast please pray for our family as we go through a very difficult time.