14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3 14-17 NIV
Filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. I can't even imagine...or can I ???
Most days, I just stumble through. But every once in a while, I feel like I am on it. You know the feeling, like you really, really, really, need to go buy a lottery ticket. There was nothing special about the day, I was just glad to be alive and in the spirit. I stopped by the church office at lunch and decided to stick my head in Pastor's office to say hi. We got to talking about the different bible studies that we have in the works. The more we talked about it, the better I felt. By the time I left, I was on cloud nine. Just the thought of what God would do in our lives, had put me there.
This is just a taste of Ephesians 3.
Can you imagine what we could accomplish if we were filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Is there a unit of measure to describe the love of our Saviour? I don't know about you, but I want Ephesians 3 all of the time. I want that kind of love to take over my life. More than anything, I want to become the person that God created me to be. The only way to do that, is to fully submit to God. Freedom can be found in that submission. Discover that freedom for yourself, and see what God has in store for you.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Friday, October 12, 2012
It's Time to Stop Holding Him Back
Today's post is a little different. I was moved to write it before the sermon. That is how much I believe in the message this week. I am not sure what Pastor Dennis will be saying this weekend, but my message is simple..... We serve a great God, it is time to stop holding him back.
For a moment, let me take you back a few years. I had been attending church on a regular basis. That means that I had given God my 1 hour per week. If I was really good, I might even to go Sunday school and anty up 2 hours that week. Let's see, I picked up my son from Today's Tomorrow. That takes at least 15 minutes. That puts me up to 2 and a 1/4 hours out of the 168 hours in a week. And lets not even talk about the collection plate. Oh no, don't try to get in my check book. I gave my $1 per day, whether the church needed it or not. If God is that great....he will turn it into $700...
I think this probably sounds familiar to some. If not the entire rant, then some portion there of. I think most of us have a trust problem when it comes to the big Guy. "I can only give X, that is all I can afford." "I can only do Y, that is all the time I have" Are we limiting God? Shutting him down before he even gets a word in. For all we know, souls are being lost because of our inaction. We have to trust God!!! I think I should say that again.....We have to trust God!!!!
What I am calling you to do this week is simple. It's not sell the house. It's not cash in the 401K. It's not even as small as giving up that designer coffee. All I want you to do this week is pray. Ask God what He wants you to do. Not just once, but every day. He will answer you. For some, the answer will be to volunteer more. For others, it will be to tithe. And for a very few, well, who knows. We do serve a great God with an even greater imagination. After all, He took this heavy metal girl and made her as a Sunday School teacher. (I think this also proves he has a sense of humor)
For a moment, let me take you back a few years. I had been attending church on a regular basis. That means that I had given God my 1 hour per week. If I was really good, I might even to go Sunday school and anty up 2 hours that week. Let's see, I picked up my son from Today's Tomorrow. That takes at least 15 minutes. That puts me up to 2 and a 1/4 hours out of the 168 hours in a week. And lets not even talk about the collection plate. Oh no, don't try to get in my check book. I gave my $1 per day, whether the church needed it or not. If God is that great....he will turn it into $700...
I think this probably sounds familiar to some. If not the entire rant, then some portion there of. I think most of us have a trust problem when it comes to the big Guy. "I can only give X, that is all I can afford." "I can only do Y, that is all the time I have" Are we limiting God? Shutting him down before he even gets a word in. For all we know, souls are being lost because of our inaction. We have to trust God!!! I think I should say that again.....We have to trust God!!!!
What I am calling you to do this week is simple. It's not sell the house. It's not cash in the 401K. It's not even as small as giving up that designer coffee. All I want you to do this week is pray. Ask God what He wants you to do. Not just once, but every day. He will answer you. For some, the answer will be to volunteer more. For others, it will be to tithe. And for a very few, well, who knows. We do serve a great God with an even greater imagination. After all, He took this heavy metal girl and made her as a Sunday School teacher. (I think this also proves he has a sense of humor)
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Miraculous Among the Mundane
Can you find the miracle in the disappointments of your life? It's not easy, is it? Last Sunday Pastor Hector took us back to the pages of Exodus for a look at the mathematical miracle. We looked at what a miracle it was that the Israelites existed in the desert for 40 years. Even in their disobedience, God provided for their every need. Food, clothing, shelter....everyday was a miracle. Did they know it? Did they praise God for it? I don't know about your Bible, but not in mine. We humans are kind of bad about that, overlooking God's presence. Are you missing the miraculous in the mundane? I am not talking about every day being a gift. (Even though it is) I am talking about when our first love broke our heart, when we got fired, or even when we lost a loved one. I won't disagree that it is hard to see when you are in the middle of it all. But when we look back, can't we see that had we not got our heart broke, we would not of met our husband? That after getting fired, we were able to get a better job that we enjoyed more.
Next time you are in the middle of life's storm, remember that God is always in control. He loved us enough to send his son for us. He will most certainly take care of us every day.
Next time you are in the middle of life's storm, remember that God is always in control. He loved us enough to send his son for us. He will most certainly take care of us every day.
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