Can I Have A Sign

A number of you have asked how much were you able to raise in support yesterday. We raised $ $ 375 out of the $ 5,000 needed. In the past I would have gotten my resume out and started sending it to different companies hoping to find a job to make ends meet. But I have learned some valuable lessons that would not have come if we were fully funded from the beginning.

1. I know what I am called to do. God desires for me to stand firm no matter what the circumstances look like. He has called me to share His word.

2. Peace comes not from what is seen but trusting in what is unseen.

John 20:24-29 “Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.” A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

The Christian Faith is called “Faith” because “True Faith” is believing in what we have not seen. The reason Jesus did not do a lot for miracles in certain places was because for many people no amount of miracles would make them believe. If you and I were to write down all that God has done for us we would be ashamed that we ever doubted His goodness, honesty and perfect, loving plan for our lives. We get frantic in this life “When we want a sign”.

Jesus does not tempt us but He allows us to be tested.

James 1:3 “because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.”

Perseverance; the ingredient to keep on fighting, to take another step when you want to stop, to not give up when all hope is lost comes from years of testing and seeing God’s faithfulness.”

Many of us have “Yikes” moments in our lives where we get the unexpected. We expect one thing and then we get the complete opposite. But you see that is our perception NOT the Lords. God does everything in our lives for His, not our, perfect purpose. Sometimes those goals align with ours but a lot of times they don’t. This is where faith comes in. This is where patience comes in.

Psalm 46:10a “Be still and know that I am God.”

This is an easy verse to read and mediate upon till everything around you is crashing. You just got some bad test results from the doctor. “How can I be still”. You just got word that a loved one died, “How can I be still”, you can’t make your house payment, “How can I be still”? But remember faith is in the unseen, the belief in a Holy , just God who made YOU. He WILL NOT LET YOU FALL. Please believe that.

I want to close with a story. For some weird reason I came upon my 3rd Grade report card from a small school in Western Pennsylvania. The teacher wrote

“I feel Bradley could do so much better. Inattentive.”

Well not much has changed. ADD started early. But I was not inattentive when it came time for sports. Why the disconnect? It is because I was told I was dumb when I was younger when it came to my studies. I was also told that I could be a great athlete. I believed in what people told me and I excelled in what I believed in.

Today we have two choices when trials come. Will we choose to believe our past failures or look to the God of the universe who created you and I and believe! Believe that things will work out for His glory and honor in our lives. The problem we get into and then it turns to worry is that we want to know “How God is going to do it”. Lord how are you going to get me out of this mess. Don’t feel alone the Psalms are all about this type of worry. But in the end God ALWAYS COMES THROUGH. I am going to take one day at a time and do the best that I can to the Glory of the Lord. I would pray that you can do the same. Don’t look far down the road of life; then you won’t have to say “Yikes” and be caught off guard. Please pray this with me if you are in a trail right now.