After a break for the holidays and canceling last week due to the snowstorm, we are back on for our Wednesday night soup supper! We'll be meeting at 6:30pm at the church for soup and other goodies as well as a video on healthy living tips. Other groups meeting will be a prayer group and a Bible study group. Hope to see you there!
posted by Kevin at 5:53 PM
Due to the storm blowing in tonight and tomorrow with the significant threat of snow on top of the ice we already have, we have decided to cancel our Wednesday night soup supper for this week. We will resume our meetings next week on 1/25/12 at the normal time, 6:30pm.
posted by Kevin at 8:46 PM
This week we will have a guest speaker who will be speaking on amazing facts about deep space.
We will learn about:
posted by Kevin at 8:49 PM
On December 16th at 7:00pm we will be presenting a wonderful musical program and play titled "The Fourth Wiseman." This will be a benefit event for the Anacortes Family Center. Please plan on joining us for this program and for fellowship time afterward.
posted by Kevin at 9:44 AM
Join us this weekend as we embark on a devotional journey with Bill McClendon.
Friday night at 6 PM, Rosario Retreat Center, our church will center itself in Christ with an Agape Feast and devotional program, culminating in communion.
Sabbath morning at the church, we will continue with Bill McClendon for the worship hour and combined study. Bill will share from his experience how God blessed the church he planted.
After church, back out a Rosario we will enjoy a fellowship dinner, and an afernoon of recreation.
Sabbath afternoon at 5PM we will get back together for a time of spiritual gifts discovery.
Join us as we listen and discover how each one of us will have a part in our new AAF ministry plan.
posted by Kevin at 12:23 PM
Are you looking for a more rewarding experience in studying the Bible? Would you like to know how to hear God speak to you in His Word? Would you like to know why all Bibles don’t read the same and how to choose an accurate one? Would you like to have absolute confidence in the Word of God, and learn how to evaluate and choose a translation that is reliable and understandable yet speaks to you? Then this compelling, practical, and significant seminar by Pastor David Allen is for you.
Friday night 7:00 p.m. - Getting the Most Out of your Bible Study
Learn how to make your personal study time with God's word even more dynamic and rewarding. Explore concepts of biblical interpretation and inspiration that will allow you to listen for God's voice.
Sabbath School 10:00 a.m. - Trusting the word
Learn why you can trust the Bible and know it is actually God’s word. Discover how changes came into the Bible and how they affect the teachings of Scripture.
Church Service 11:00 a.m. - Word of God Speak
Be inspired as you witness how Jesus and the New Testament church related to the Scriptures. Discover what the Bible says about itself that makes it so powerful in the life of a Christian. Learn how you can let the Word of God speak to you personally.
Fellowship Dinner 12:30 p.m. - potluck style
Sabbath afternoon 2:00 p.m. - Trusting the translations
Why are there so many differences in translations? Has there been an attempt to distort God’s Word? What are some of the specific changes, and how did they come about? Share an in-depth, hands-on study about Bible translations and how to evaluate their reliability, including an examination of the concerns and criticisms over various Bible versions.
posted by Kevin at 4:07 PM
This Wednesday night we will be holding our regular soup supper at the church. For those that are available there will be a neighborhood walk at 5:30pm, followed by a potluck vegetarian soup supper at 6:30pm, and then watch a short subject video. Our topic this week will be genetically modified organisms (GMO), how they are integrated into our food chain, and what the health effects are.
This is a very interesting and yet complicated topic so come ready to learn & discuss!
posted by Mistaken at 9:10 PM
The well-known Adventist writer and lecturer George Knight will be speaking at AAF this weekend. The title of his sermon is "Church is not a spectator sport". If you haven't heard him before, or have read one of his many books this is your chance to hear him in person!
posted by Mistaken at 12:30 PM
Every Wednesday evening the Anacortes Adventist Fellowship family gets together for some exercise, food and education. The details are as follows:
posted by Mistaken at 12:10 PM
Now that fall is here (at least we think it is) we are starting to plan some social events - so come to church this weekend to hear more about it. Here are some activities that we are planning on a regular basis:
1 - refreshments following church every week
2 - Wednesday night soup suppers
3 - potluck every 1st Saturday of the Month
4 - lunch club every 3rd Saturday of the Month
In addition to these regularly scheduled activities, we are planning several special social events this fall - if you have any particular ideas please pass them on to a board member!
posted by Mistaken at 9:07 PM
For those of you that missed it this last weekend was the 3rd running of the Adventist Cruise. This event consisted of a weekend boat trip to Friday Harbor and Stuart Island. At Friday Harbor those without boats were able to participate by ferry in the church service in Friday Harbor which was followed by a potluck.
Those with boats then continued on to Reid Harbor were there was a great raft-up, hikes and trips to Roche Harbor for lunch. The plan is to hold the next Adventist Cruise on Labor Day weekend in 2012...
posted by Mistaken at 9:16 AM
If you have an over abundance of vegetables from your garden, or are just wanting to share of your bountiful harvest, consider giving to the food banks in Anacortes.
The best days to donate fresh goods to The Salvation Army, located at 3001 R Ave., Ste. #100, is Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings. They are open to help those in need during the afternoon of those three days.
The Anacortes 100 Food Bank is open for business 10am - 2pm on Tuesdays and Fridays. You can drop off produce at 512 4th St, during the hours they are open or drop it off at the building just behind the house if they are not yet open.
posted by Kevin at 12:05 PM
In case you haven't noticed, we have a new sign in front of the church building. It is loosely modeled after the sign outside the historic Hopewell Baptist Church in Davidson, North Carolina which was built in 1879. Our version has one modification in that the actual signage can be easily removed and replaced.
If you haven't seen it, stop by and check it out!
 |
| New Anacortes Adventist Fellowship Church Sign |
posted by Mistaken at 5:48 PM
posted by Kevin at 9:50 PM
“That you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life...”
Deut. 30:20
Join us this week for a talk on our solar system. We are part of a solar system where each planet and moon has unique features that set it apart. Together, they have an important lesson for us to learn. With beautiful images from telescopes, orbiters, and rovers, you will learn what our solar system tells us about our God, what He longs to do for us, and how His Word is still relevant for today’s people.
posted by Kevin at 9:01 PM
News Headline: Bill Gates now bankrupt. (not really)
But this is what happened to Job in one day. Job’s response was to fall down and worship the Creator God.
Can God be trusted with all areas of our lives? Is there an area of life that you would not trust to God? In this temporary world it is hard to know who to trust. When all earthly support is removed, can God still be trusted.
There is no easy way to replace the lost balances of your retirement funds. But with the lessons taught in Job you do have a choice how you relate to the loss and who you put your faith in and trust for the future.
For more questions, discussion and answers join us this Saturday at 10:00am.
posted by Kevin at 9:30 PM
Back by popular demand is our annual Adventist Cruise - Sept 2-5. The cruise will start in Anacortes on Friday Sept 2 and head to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. On Saturday the group will participate in a church service at Friday Harbor (location to be decided). After church the group will travel to Stuart Island and anchor in Prevost Harbor for Saturday night. On Sunday the flotilla will travel to Sucia Island and anchor in Echo Bay, enjoying hiking on the island. On Monday the group will return to Anacortes.
Those wishing to come over for church in Friday Harbor on Saturday can catch the 9:00am ferry from Anacortes which arrives at 10:05 in Friday Harbor.
If you or anyone you know are interested in participating, please contact Kevin Welch at 360-708-8516 for additional information.
posted by Mistaken at 11:29 PM
This week’s speaker will be Maureen O’Kane who will be presenting some amazing pictures of stars and planets. If you enjoy looking at Hubble Space Telescope pictures you will not want to miss it.
Her talk will be an in-depth look using scripture and science to give us an even greater appreciation for what God made the first 4 days of creation. Light, atmosphere, oceans, sun, and moon will never look the same again!
posted by Kevin at 6:46 AM
As many of you have heard, our Chaplain Pat Grant stepped down from ministry at the Anacortes Adventist Fellowship on Saturday, June 26, 2011 to pursue a career in auctioneering.
Pat brought great vitality to the congregation and was pivotal in building the Fellowship to the state that it is in today. His energy and enthusiasm will be missed greatly, along with his children's ministries and visitation skills. While he may not be speaking to us each week, Pat will always be in our hearts.
Looking forward, the church board is working with the Washington Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists to find a replacement for Pat. This process will take a minimum of several months and the board will keep the congregation and community informed as the search progresses. In the meantime Commander Mike Hakanson (USN Chaplain and ordained Adventist Minister) will act as our volunteer chaplain and be assisted by other visiting speakers.
posted by Mistaken at 8:43 AM
So we’re on this journey through Hebrews chapter 11. It’s the hall of fame chapter for those who exemplified great faith and showed their trust in God. We’re not done with Abraham yet. Oh we’re just getting started! We talked a little last week about how Abraham was 100 and God took him outside and told him to look straight up.
“Look at those stars Abraham.” God said.
“Drink in their beauty and splendor! As many stars as there are in the sky is how many children you’re going to have.”
I’m kinda thinking Abraham is wide eyed. Can’t you see it? Here’s this guy who’s in the retirement years. This is the fifth wheel, social security, depends on depends stage of life and God just told him to get ready to have a baby.
His wife is freakin out as well. I get that. She’s thinking she’s not able to bear, and who really knows when the last time they even looked at each other and grinned. God, however, made a declaration, and when God speaks it’s as good as done.
It may not happen when we want it to, but it does happen. That is the power and privilege of God. God can make promises that will be kept, but on His time not ours. One of the characteristics of being a hall of fame faith keeper is being willing to wait upon the Lord to fulfill His promise in your life. Those who are impatient and make quick decisions that aren’t what God wanted will suffer.
So they do have a child. Unbelievable but they do. A son. His name is Isaac. They have another son also with the maid (Long story ask me sometime it’s complicated.) Here is Abraham and Sarah and they are so excited they have their child. They have a son who will be heir to all they have. It is a very enlightening and glorious time for this…ah…youngish couple.
And then God speaks again a few years later. Isaac is older. We’re not sure how old but I’m guessing ten maybe eleven. Chapter 22 of Genesis:
Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”
“Here I am,” he replied.
“Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”
“Are you serious?” That would have been my response. I’m glad I wasn’t there. I don’t think that would have been a particularly good verse in the Bible, but I’m not sure I would have done it. In thinking and reflecting on this verse and what God is asking I don’t know that I would have had the courage or strength to kill my kid because God asked.
Abraham had to have struggled, vented, said something. He had to have felt angry, frustrated, and enraged at having to do this. It would have been better he never had a son then to give him one and then ask him to kill him. God, however, is in the testing business.
Tests are an interesting thing. Whether you’re in school or in life everybody gets tested. A test’s purpose is to see if it’s in you-right? A math test is to see if all the numbers and formulas are in your head correctly by asking a few questions that require correct answers. If you answer correctly the test has shown your head is right. If you’re wrong then the test shows you need to change your thinking.
Life has a way of testing you. Stress, struggle, and challenges push you to make choices and show what’s in you – right? If you are under stress, or you’re angry your actions in that state of emotion will truly show where you’re at. Pressure shows better than anything else ever could what a person truly feels and how they think. You don’t know someone till you’ve seen them angry, hurt, or deeply sad. How they act at those moments are like a math test, their actions show you where their head are at.
Abraham has got to be in a heightened state of emotion. There is no way you could convince me that he has heard God’s request and passively thinks, “Ok I guess Isaac bites the dust today.” He’s a father who loves his son. He’s got to be feeling sorrow, agony, loss, anger. He’s got to have a storm of emotions and stresses pressing down upon him.
“WHY?”
“Why give me a son and then ask me to do this?”
“Why would you ask me to kill when it’s against the law?”
“How cruel and vindictive are you oh God to put me through this?”
That’s just the warm up. I’da been up all night firing questions and other things at God for asking me to do something so crazy. God, however, did ask. You can’t get away from it. God asked. It was hanging there above Abraham like a great slab of silence waiting for a reply. Abraham had to make a choice. Did he love his son or God more?
That’s a choice all of us have to make. Do you love your life or God more? Do you hold onto something in your life right now you need to let go of because it’s keeping you from truly walking with God? If you love something more than God that thing will destroy you. If you love God more than that thing God will build you into something you never dreamed! That choice is with you!
Abraham makes the decision to travel to Moriah and do what God asked. Wow the ethical discussions that would have generated in my church! He obeyed what God told him to do. They get to Moriah, he tells the story to Issac, Isaac in an even weirder twist doesn’t run but says, “If that is what God wants, then let it be.”
Just as Abraham is about to plunge the knife. Just as he has resolved to let go of reason and hold tightly to faith. In the ultimate act of faith Abraham’s actions show his love for God is his highest priority. And then an angel stops him.
“Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” And the test…was done.
God needed Abraham to know just how far he would go for God! That’s the purpose of a test. To show what’s in you when the circumstances require all of you to respond. My hope is that you have learned from your life. You have passed your tests, or at least you embrace the next one learning from the last one. God wants all of you. The parts you hold back will ruin you. Total surrender to the will of God will elevate you! It’s up to you.
Pat
posted by Kevin at 7:49 AM
So I’ve been doing a series of stories on the pillars of faith based out of Hebrews chapter 11. The next player on the stage is Abraham. Abraham is an old traditional man of the tribe of Israel. During this stage of the story he’s nearing 100. I’m trying to imagine that cake. It’s a Costco double chocolate fudge with raspberry coulee filling. The frosting is butter cream with Kahlua. On the top of this monstrosity is 100 candles. Not the number one hundred but ONE HUNDRED little colorful swirled candles.
How do you light a cake like that? I mean by the time you start with one and then get to the hundredth candle the first one has melted down in a pool of wax around the cake ya think? You would have to hire three people in zones to light three sections of the cake to get all the candles lit within a sufficient amount of time. Then there’s the other issue of can he blow out the candles? I mean at this party do you have an oxygen mask close by? A physician? One of those, “CLEAR!” things standing by fully charged? That’s what being 100 means.
I have a goal of seeing my hundredth birthday. I know the party I’m going to have, the friends, the pie (I’m not a big fan of cake), and all the things that go into that big a bash. The one thing I won’t be thinking about at my hundredth is having another child! That’s what Abraham is having to deal with now because in Genesis chapter 18 God let’s Abraham know, “Congratulations son you’re going to have a son this time next year when you’re 100.
“Ah…errr…ummm.” Would be the first utterances I’d give. At 100 you’re sort of in the Alaska cruise mode, the fifth wheel across Utah mode, the kick back with your new knees and hip joint replacements mode. This is not exactly the kind of life that is going by a regular plan. Abraham, of course, is not your regular guy. He’s been chosen by God to become one of the great stories of faith and courage. Not that Abraham led an exemplary life, far from it, but when he was tested the man believed his God and did his best to obey.
Sarah his wife? Not so much. In Genesis 18 she’s listening while God is telling Abraham that one year from now he’s going to be a father and she starts to laugh. I’ve always been curious about that laugh. When you see someone laugh you think to yourself, “Why are they laughing?” If you tell a really good joke that’s a sign your joke was seriously funny. If they laugh when you want to be funny, that means they like you.
When you’re preaching and you tell a story and your congregation laughs, that’s priceless! It means your church is with you, they’re connected to you, and they have responded to you. Laughter is one of the great gifts in the world. We have cried so much at tragedy and pain, it is such a refreshing change to laugh! Unless you’re laughing for one other reason and that is because you don’t believe.
Two years ago I made the decision to go to auctioneering school. I had, under some very odd circumstances, been asked to do an auction. I had no training, no experience, and no understanding of how to be an auctioneer. I fumbled like a foal just born through that auction but made the decision to go to auction school.
When I told my friends and community some looked at me oddly. Others remained silent, some believed, and others laughed. One particular person couldn’t wait until I was gone he started laughing at me while I was still standing there. I’ll never forget that. “You laugh.” I thought, “But there will come a day when you will never laugh at me again.” That day has already passed.
God’s thinking the same thing here in Genesis 18. When He told Abraham he was going to be a father Sarah laughed. God asks Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, “Will I really have a child, now that I am old? Is anything too hard for the Lord?” Vs. 13-14. It’s an insult to laugh at God! Laughter at disbelief is like mocking God when He’s promised something.
Yeah i get it. It’s a comical situation. He’s 100, she’s in her 90’s. Is she laughing because she thinks she’s too old, or has it been a while since, ah…well you know what I’m thinking, It really doesn’t matter. The point is if God’s promised it, then it’s done! There is no space for doubt and fear when you have the presence and promises of God in your life! God chose them for that reason! It was a couple so far from the norm you’d have to conclude it was God!
What’s so valuable about this story is because of Sarah’s disbelief they make really stupid choices. Lack of faith in God leads to stupidity. You make bad choices when you don’t rest and wait upon the Lord. When you try and solve a problem on your own, or heal a hurt by yourself, you’re destined to make a bad decision. They didn’t believe, acted accordingly, and to this day there is still suffering because of them.
Deepen your faith! Wait on the Lord! Believe in what He has promised you. If you’re going to laugh, laugh at yourself when God does answer what you thought was impossible!
Pat
posted by Kevin at 6:02 PM
I’m all for stability. It has its place. You need it. I know that. Stability is being able to go to the same job, drop your kids at the same school, and rely that things are consistent and reliable. You can’t spend your life wondering if the school is going to treat your kids well each day, or if your job is still going to be there, or if your spouse will be trustworthy. I understand there is a place for stability – sometimes.
I also know that a repetitive but predictable lifestyle can blur the fine line between stability and mind numbing monotony. When you’re in a groove and you stay there too long it gets to be a very deep hole. That’s called a grave. You’re walking dead with no challenges and no sense of adventure just one predictable day after another. I think God shakes and rattles the hell out of stability. I think there are moments when God asks you to do something so crazy that at first its fear that seizes you, but then it sublimates into excitement. I believe God allows stability, but hungers for us to experience adventure and challenge! There is ample proof that God’s will is many times so out of the regular routine.
There’s proof of that in the Bible. In Matthew 25:14 there’s a story about three guys, Larry, Curly, and Moe. They’re each given a few talents. One gets five, the other gets two, and the last guy gets one. They’re given talents like you are given talents. Talents are something you’re good at. Talents are your God given gift whatever it is that is placed in your soul and you love doing it when you’re doing it.
I’ve got a few so do you. Did you know you will never be truly happy in this life unless you’re using those talents? If you’re not happy ask yourself, “Am I doing right now what God wants me to do?” If you said no I’ll bet that’s part of the reason you’re not happy. Happiness comes from using the gifts God has given you. You feel happy when you’re doing whatever it is He wanted you to do in the first place.
A runner is happy when he’s running, a guitar player when he’s playing, and you? So in this story these three guys get some talents. The first two, they take risks. They step out and try to use their gifts in some very different ways and it pays off. They both double their gifts! The take what they have and build it into something ever greater than what they started with. To me a sure sign of God’s favor is when you take what you’re given and build it into something better than when you started. This includes your life.
That third guy though, now we’ve got a problem. He’s one of these safety and security suckers. I call him a sucker because he sucks the life out of other creative spirits because they threaten him. Safety security suckers are easily unnerved by a risky venture. They are insecure and threatened by others who don’t think like they do, don’t look like they do, don’t act like they do, and they’re quick to shoot down any plan you have because it makes them feel uncomfortable and outside their groove. That’s the third guy.
He comes to God and says, “Hey you gave me one talent, and I’m giving you one back. I kept it hidden safely and I have been faithful with it. I didn’t lose it. He’s glowing with pride because he looks at others who have lost it all trying to chase a dream and he thinks living dreamless is a trophy. You judge who is right and who is wrong by God’s response. Let me give you the quick version.
God looks at Larry and Curly and smiles. He invites them to dinner, offers them permanent places in His business. He’s so excited with them He can hardly contain himself. It makes sense don’t you think? Imagine hiring sales people who when you give them a territory, or an assignment, they go out into the field and double your goals! That means your company is going to expand, increase, and triple in size because your staff are risk takers! They believe in you and what they’re doing! I’d be excited too! I’d be thrilled to have one of those guys. Moe? He gets a pink slip and he’s fired.
God is thrilled with the truly crazy who take risks and try daring and bold things. God is also very unhappy with those who live safe and secure lives without ever trying anything daring. God is big on risk takers and is displeased with those who play it safe. If you’re a business owner you understand His perspective. You want people that will help build the business. So what business is God in? God is in the reaching people for the cause of God business! He is desperately searching for people that will give their lives totally to Jesus and change for the better.
That business is touching people’s hearts and changing them from addicts to aspiring artists, musicians, business people, chefs, you name it! That business is changing one person at a time into someone that wants to follow God from here on. That business is helping people find their talents and gifts and using them to build God’s business! That business is giving people the gift of finding their joy and passion in submission to God’s will! It’s the most important business in the world, and it takes bold and beautiful people to build it.
This week I’m preaching from Genesis chapter 6. Noah. If there was ever a guy who was willing to step all the way out there it was him. He left the comfort and security of his home and community to be a nut for God! God told him what to do and after he got up off the floor from fainting He struggled and thought, “Ok if this is what God wants, I’ll do it. I’m not so concerned about how I look but how God does.”
He builds a boat in the desert. It had never rained before. That’s like trying to sell pasta to the Italians. There wasn’t a real need at the time. God knew there was going to be a change coming and Noah was crazy enough to tell his people the message. Noah was crazy enough to spend days constructing and preaching. Noah was a risk taker, and the gain from his courage was the world would be saved. If Noah had been a security addict where would we be?
There are times when God calls and you have to jump. You must leap into the unknown and take a chance! It’s about changing you and changing the world by entering into something you’ve never experienced before. There are countless stories of men and women who were scared and walked forward into the dark with the daring of a thousand men pulsing through their souls. There is a very spiritual and physical strength that happens when you take the hand of God and walk into the valley of the shadow of death and see the sunshine on the other side.
In my own life I have taken so many risks. All things good or bad have made me into a better man, and I see the value in trusting in Jesus no matter the result. My hope for you today is that you would build the courage to do God’s will. Whatever that is, no matter how scary, no matter how intimidating, DO GOD’S WILL! You will be happier, healthier, and stronger for it. You will feel joy and elation like you’ve never known, but it begins with a single step. That step into the unknown, into the dark, will take all you have. Trusting in Jesus and taking his hand will replace fear with life breathing faith!
Let me please pray for you!
“Dear Jesus today there is a reader in need of faith. They are in need of the gift of trusting you in their circumstances. They are broken and need to be whole again. I ask by the power of the Holy Spirit that you would fill their hearts today with the courage of ten thousand. I pray that today they would look at their situation differently. Today Lord they would not look as timid and fearful victims, but as strong and resilient warriors! Give the gift of taking a risk. To leave what is comfortable and secure and to walk with you wherever that may lead.
Today Lord bless their lives, clean their hearts, and lead them to glory!
In Jesus name-amen.”
Pat
posted by Kevin at 7:43 PM
So life is difficult. That’s the way it is. I remember a commentary on Bill Clinton one time during his presidency. Sam Donaldson said, “His flaws were as great as his gifts.” Wow do I get that. All of us have flaws. I think I can say with confidence that all of us have made mistakes because all of us have flaws. In a world where we have to work together there has to be certain principles that allow flawed people to look past each other’s faults and embrace the possibilities, When we accept each other it’s astounding what we can accomplish.
So what keeps it all together? I mean when there is dissension and discord, frustration and pain, what holds it all together? Faith. Faith is the hope you want to see when you don’t see it. Faith is the picture in your mind that compels you when the view in your eyes crushes you. Faith is the essence of the Christian walk and I am at a total loss how a person can live this life without it.
If you have no faith then what’s left? I would guess you have to solve your problems yourself. If something is uncertain you would stress continually trying to fix it. If something is taken you would be consumed trying to get it back. If someone betrays you, you would be the one that has to get even. That kind of burden leads to all sorts of abuse. You would be constantly looking for a fix of some kind to relieve the pain. When you can’t solve the problem, and you’re the only solution, not knowing what to do can make you mad!
OR
You can try this approach. There is a God who resides in the heavens who sees all, knows all, hears all, and is omnipotent. That word, “Omnipotent” means without limits. Omnipotent is the power to change a nation or a neighbor. It’s the power to change the situation or the sufferer. It’s the power to increase the supply or restrict the needs. I believe there is a God who has the power and the wisdom to know what to do and when to do it. I believe there is a God who makes decisions based in love not retribution. I believe.
The perspective of love is very comforting to me. When you know that someone makes decisions based on the love they have for you, it’s a decision you can trust. When I look at my girls and I make the decision to restrict their video game playing, I know in my mind it’s a love decision. I want the best for them and I see in the long run what that picture looks like. When I look at the situation and I make a choice as to what they can and can’t do it’s because I love them and love wants what’s best for them.
They might not see it that way, but they don’t have the power right now I do. They have to trust me that my decisions are the best for them, and I do know they know I really love them. That’s how it is with God. If the situation is uncertain, discouraging, or painful I know there is a God who loves me. I believe when God looks at me He loves me and says, “This is the best thing for you and your future.”
With that kind of assurance I can relax and settle into praying and keeping God close instead of expending too much energy trying to solve the problem. Faith gives me the ability to relax, and that relaxation enables me to be at peace. I can wait for things God has for me instead of running crazy trying to find an answer.
In this life you only have so much energy. Energy is one of the last precious resources on the planet and for this blog I’m not referring to petroleum but passion. God has given you energy and something to focus on. There is something right now He wants you to give your attention to. Stress and worry suck your energy. Worry is a hole in the gas tank. That’s why faith is so precious. Faith makes you fully into you without fear and stress changing you.
So today this is your task. Take your problems, your desires, your fears, uncertainties, anxieties, brokenness, hatred, and selfishness and offer it up to God. Ask the Lord to take it and pray that you don’t ask for it back. Let God have it, let God take care of it, and you? You just relax. Sit back, pray, and review in your mind again just how powerful God is. Reflect on how capable He will be to answer you and resolve this when the time is right.
Relax it’s going to be ok. It really is. I know Him and that’s all I need to know.
Pat
posted by Kevin at 5:09 PM
So does God ever lead you into a tough situation that you weren’t expecting to test you or change you? I mean seriously man, is God like a general and we’re soldiers and He suddenly thrusts you into boot camp but the sales pitch was the GI bill? Does God sell you the picture of you in a ripped and ready body but never mentions the sweat and pain of the gym? Does He lead you into Hell in order to get you to heaven? What a great question! Let’s answer that one.
I’ve got two passages to give you.
“Behold I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” John 10:16
So if someone that has authority over me said, “I’m sending you into wheretheheckistan so be smart about who you talk to and where you go. While you’re there don’t create any conflict and don’t get too comfortable either.” I’m thinking, yep, there’s trouble ahead. The warning is enough for me to know this isn’t going to be a smooth sailing trip, it’s more Gilligan than Love Boat. This gets better.
So in Luke 4:1 it says:
“Then Jesus being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry.”
Ah, duh? Forty days without tacos, spaghetti, or salad and I’d be kinda hungry too. I have heard there is a certain point after you’ve fasted for a while that you don’t feel hunger anymore. I’ve never been there, don’t want to visit there, and not planning a trip there either. God led God to that vacation spot. He’s in the wilderness doing something really unpleasant and God led Him there knowing He’d be suffering through this experience. I think there’s ample proof in the Bible that shows God will lead you into tough situations to test you or change you or both.
Now I’ve heard some say, “Yeah but He’s God. He has an advantage that I don’t. He can do this kind of stuff and come out ok where I can’t. So I get this argument but I have a few questions. Let’s suppose you’re right. I did say suppose; hang in there genius. Let’s just say that Jesus, when He was on the earth, did have an advantage over us. He was able to resist sin and temptation in ways we can’t. So you read the passage about the journey through the wilderness and you’ve got to conclude one thing. Wow, is Jesus an Oscar award winner, don’t ya think?
I mean here’s a guy who has the ability to resist because He’s God. Even in human form the guy has no feelings of weakness or vulnerability. So that whole story where He’s hungry and tired and weak was all an act because why take yourself to that point of suffering if you’re not really feeling it anyway? It’s all a show for the stage? He just wants us to believe He hurts like we do without actually hurting? I don’t call that acting, I call that lying. That’s a slick politician who drinks the water from his district because there’s rumors of toxic waste dumping but the water in the glass is bottled.
Sorry guys, just can’t see Jesus doing that. I have to believe Jesus was guileless (1 Peter 2:22). Love that word. So few people on the planet I could say that about. Guileless means there is no deceit or false impressions in Him. A person who is guileless is not capable of presenting themselves one way and being something different when the crowd is not looking. HE is what He is. It is what it is. It stays what it is.
So I don’t believe He was acting, I think He went through the same trials and struggles we do. So why did He come out without sin? He was connected to God. If we do the same I believe we can be what Jesus is. Off topic back on track. So God leads Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted and tormented. The reason? To show you that you don’t have to be weak and wallow, you can overcome whatever it is that is consuming you. You can change.
Imagine working for a church. It’s a volunteer organization where the only leverage you’ve got is how good you beg. Once you’ve mastered the art of big eyes that tear up a little you can maybe get some things done, OR, you master the ability to lead a congregation to the foot of the throne of the King. If you can get them closer to God, loving God, thinking more about Jesus and His love for them, they will be inspired to do things that are tough. They will change into people willing to be led into hell because they’re filled with the spirit of heaven. They do what Jesus did, they stay connected and close to God. In the tough moments proximity to God toughens you.
Tough situations push you to decide. If you can’t change the circumstance you have to change or quit. I know for a fact Moses was led back to Egypt, that changed him. Noah was led back to town where they laughed at him, that changed him. Paul was led back to prison, that changed him. Jesus was led to the cross, and that changed me! There is countless evidence that good men who trusted God and went where they believed HE was leading them ended up in the fire! That fire burned away their weaknesses, their fears, and their doubts, and left them fearless!
I’ve been in the fire so long I don’t remember what it’s like not to feel the burn. The burn of criticism, the burn of loss, the burn of hurt, you know, the burn of suffering. I believe I’ve been led by God when I was trying to just be faithful and do what I believe God wanted me to do. There is something deeply spiritual and empowering when things you want so badly are taken from you. It leaves you dependent upon God. It leaves you choosing to curse or cry to heaven for relief and release. It leaves you fearless! You’re not afraid of losing anything anymore! You’re more excited about what you’re going to gain now that you’re this different person capable of handling what God has planned.
Change! That is what God is asking of you! Change! Become what He wants you to be and stop enmeshing yourself in what you want. Rise up to the challenge that is presented before you! What appears to be a difficult circumstance is a workout that will make you stronger if you stay in the fight. It’s not about what is happening around you, it is all about what is happening inside you!
Pat
posted by Kevin at 11:01 PM
You ever wonder what Jesus would look like if He were here today? Would he be a corporate business guy? A general contractor? Would he be homeless? Live in a big house? What would He spend His time doing? I think maybe He would be in Africa working with orphaned children whose parents have died of aids. Or maybe He would start a church and pastor somewhere. What would He do? Here’s the things I don’t think He would be doing.
I don’t think Jesus would be living His life worried. I don’t think He would sweat the small stuff or stress about what to wear. I don’t think Jesus would cheat or steal or lie about anything so that knocks out politician, businessman, lawyer, and in some cases preacher. I see Jesus as the kind of guy who jumped rope with kids in the school yard and smiled vibrantly with people in the hospital. I see Him as the kind of guy who would walk into a room and instantly make friends with everyone. He would shake hands and you would love talking with Him.
I see Jesus as vibrant and energetic! You were attracted to Him because He was so blissfully happy and you needed his energy. I see Him as the kind of guy that would sit down beside you, big smile, shake your hand and then say, “Tell me about your life! Tell me what’s going on with you...”
“Have you taken any trips? How are your kids? What’s the happiest thing that has happened to you in a while?” He’d be beaming because He was so happy to see you and for that suspended moment you would know nothing else mattered to Him but you. You were the center of the world to God!”
I think Jesus was a misfit. If you read the New Testament it’s very clear that Christ didn’t fit in with the established order. He didn’t act the way leaders wanted Him to, He didn’t say the right things. He was never very good at making the crowd feel good, in fact Matthew chapter five shows that Christ really pissed people off. He would constantly challenge them to be better than they were. I think He loved everyone passionately but he challenged them to be better continually.
That type of personality was polarizing. I’m not sure Jesus was really good at building consensus I think He was more divisive than uniting. You were either with Him or against Him but you were never indifferent. Conversations about Jesus at Starbucks were always emotional. The person either loved Him or hated Him with deep invested emotions. I think that’s a sign God is working with you when no one is bored, and you incite everyone to have an opinion.
I believe Jesus constantly challenged people to rise to higher standards and they were either inspired and did, or ran. Either way He was grooming a group of people that were better, stronger, and healthier because they listened. His call for their lives was to become all they were capable of being in His eyes and to stop looking at their own sins and weaknesses. His entire being was love and longing for those He loved and when you truly love someone you want the best for them. When you love someone and you see them hurting themselves it hurts you.
The more I study the life of Christ the more I see a man who was so sure of himself that outside opinions didn’t matter. He was so focused on His goal of saving people that nothing could distract Him. He was never afraid to confront people with what He saw them doing wrong, he was never politically correct, and He didn’t try and fit in He tried to get them to fit Him!
The uptight conservative was stressed out with Him. The sinner was drawn to Him. The weak were longing for Him. The sick were healed by Him. The blind could see with Him. The children would laugh with Him. The leaders were insulted by Him. The crowd loved Him! The crowd hated Him! The crowd felt alive again because of Him. He brought out the best and the worst that was latent in the souls of men. He was the one we were to be more like.
If he made you angry there was a reason. If He made you see your sins there was a reason. If you were drawn to Him there was a reason. If you ran from Him there was a reason. If you changed because of Him you would be better. If you ran from Him because you didn’t want to change you were worse. If I was too try and summarize what I think Jesus would look like if He were here today I would say – DECISION.
Jesus would drive you to a decision. You would stop wavering and finally decide whether you wanted this man in your life or not. If you were willing to look at yourself and think, “What’s He asking from me? He wants my entire life. Am I willing to give Him my life and rise to the standards He’s calling me to? Will I be a better person if I follow Him? What will happen to me if I don’t?
Jesus compels people to choose. If you chose to give your life to Him you’ll be more than you dreamed. If you reject Him and run you’ll be worse. That was the kind of man Jesus was. That is by God’s power and grace the kind of man I hope to be.
I’ve lost so much trying to do what God has asked of me. I’ve gained more. Trying to stand strong and live the kind of life God is asking me to live has been tough. The inner strength and peace that resides in my soul is irreplaceable. When I know God is happy with me it gives me the ability to deal with the pain of loss. I have tried my best to live and do what God has asked, and that gets me through the day. That peace is all I’ve got left. I believe God will give back something better if I change and become what He is asking me to be. I don’t want to run. I don’t want to cower when He challenges me. I want to stand up and be the man God wants me to be. If Jesus were here today that is the kind of man I believe He would be, and since you are here I would ask you what kind of person you hope to be?
Are you the one who has responded to the call of God? Do you feel the peace of God in your soul? Are you running and it’s time to stop? If you run from God it’s off a cliff. If you respond and rise to where God wants you to be it’s up the mountain to the peak! Rise oh reader! By God’s power rise! You can be so much more! You can be so much happier. Happiness is not comfort without challenge; happiness is working toward something great and enjoying a new life when you arrive!
Rise oh reader! RISE!
In Jesus name-amen.
Pat
posted by Kevin at 3:09 PM