God Loves "New"
We’ll here we are again, 365 days since the last time we were looking forward to winter making a final exit.
A lot has changed on the stage of the world... never a dull moment!
Our own country and the world continues to change on a daily basis, right before our very eyes. There are lots of new things happening all around us, and the world for that matter!
But really, the more things change, the more they stay the same, by that I mean people often want everything else to change around them except themselves.
You know like their job, their pay, their spouse, their car, their house, and the list goes on and on.
It seems like every year Jan 1, the list of change for most people is long. But by this time of year, for most the list has vanished and few are thinking about making any changes in their own life.
Illus. By Ed Vasiek
A pastor thought God gave Him an idea, and he presented it in the monthly board meeting. After giving his most impassioned plea and really “selling” the idea to the board, they voted and voted down the pastors proposed changes 12-1. They looked at the pastor and said, “Well pastor, it’s 12 votes to 1. Looks like you’ve been out voted. Looks like time is up for the evening, so will you please close in prayer.”
The pastor, not wanting to give up yet on what he felt God was leading him to do then lead in prayer. As he prayed, he lifted his hands up to heaven and prayed, “Loooorrrdddd - I know my brothers here do not have the same vision you have given me. Please help them to see that this is not MY vision, but YOOOOUUUUURRRR vision!”
At that exact moment, a lightning bolt with a loud clap of thunder burst in through the window in the meeting room, striking the table, splitting it in two and knocking all the board members to the floor. As the dust cleared, the pastor looked at the ranking board member and said - so, what do you think about my idea now?
The man stood up, dusted himself off, sighed and said, “Well, I guess that makes it,
12 votes to 2.
Nobody likes to go through the hassle, the battle, the storm, the fire, whatever name fits your situation of change! And of course, everyone would prefer to be miraculously delivered to the victors circle, that awaits on the other side of status quo.
That’s why we like to be proactive, always on the offense, always thinking that God needs our help to achieve the new in our lives, that He has for us!
But that’s not what God wants us to do, He wants us to completely depend on Him and rest in His Amazing ability.
1st Peter 5:7 NKJ.
7. casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
Now some might say, if God really cared, He would just take care of everything and we wouldn’t have to worry about anything.
He could do that, absolutely, God could do that and not even blink an eye!
Do you have enough faith to trust Him to do that, in your life?
You should, that’s the great thing about Gods faith and grace He gives us, its sufficient for every need we have. Truth be told, God already takes fantastic care of us...and when we think things are starting to get just a little bit edgy in life, it's because we're standing in His way of delivering, His will and plans for our lives.
Matthew 6:25-27 NKJ
25. “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
26. Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
27. Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
Worrying equals reliance on our self effort, having faith and trusting God puts our reliance on Gods ability!
The MSG. says it this way;
“My grace is enough; it’s all you need.
My strength comes into its own in your weakness.”
1st Peter 5 Vs. 6 says; before you cast all your cares on Him, to
6. be humbled, then, under the powerful hand of God, that you He may exalt in good time,
In the instant technological world we live in, everyone always wants everything now,
And it’s the same way, with what God has in store for them. While that may be exciting to think about, fact is; there is no way anyone could began to handle everything that God has in store for them.
Not to mention, all the timing of events and sequencing of individuals actions and dealing with their wants and desires, to not only bring about what your requests are, but what theirs is as well. Take that thought multiplied by seven billion two hundred eighty million people!
That's why God said cast all your cares on me, forget about tomorrow, tomorrow's problems will take care of themselves.
Ill. Famous scientist, discoverer and Christian George Washington Carver, asked God to show him the vastness of the universe,
That didn’t happen, God said to much information George. But what God did show him, was the mysteries of the peanut and Carver went on discover, more than 105 food recipes using peanuts.
He also developed and promoted about 100 products made from peanuts that were useful for the house, the farm and the world, including cosmetics, dyes, paints, plastics, gasoline, and nitroglycerin. All those amazing things...from just a peanut!
1st Corinthians 2:9 NKJ
9. But as it is written:
“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
“The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” (pause) I want you to think about that for a moment,
we all know the streets of heaven are paved with gold, Heavens walls are of jasper and its gates of pearl.
We all know those things exists in eternity, just waiting for us to enjoy,
And scripture says, things far beyond our imagination that no one knows about.
But I tell you, He has things in fact He puts things in this life, in this world, in our paths,
far beyond what we can think, hope, or imagine, just waiting to be discovered.
New things, new ideas, new plans, new blessings, new mercies, all awaiting our discovery of them...each and every amazing day God let's us wake up too!
John 10:10 NKJ
10. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
Jeremiah 29:11 NASB
11. For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.
We’ll preacher, you sure like to quote those abundant life scriptures, but you known who likes them better than I do? God does, God loves when we talk about, embrace and decide to walk in His marvelous provision, He has created and has waiting for us to use!
Gods goodness should be easily identified, so that we know about His Blessings and are constantly aware of them, Like they’re part of are genetic makeup, part of the fabric of our soul! Amen???
The new adventures and blessings everyday God clearly has prepared for us is beyond amazing!
Psalms 68:19 NKJ
Blessed be the Lord,
Who daily loads us with benefits,
The God of our salvation! Selah
SELAH (see-la) is a Hebrew word meaning 'a musical interlude; to pause and think about what was just said or sung; or to pause and watch for a visual demonstration of what was said or sung.'
Gods plans for each one of us, are bigger than just planning something way far out in the future for us,
Some one that loves to give, is truly just that, some one that loves to give, not only now, but always in the now and in the future and forever.
We know this to be true, because The Bible tells us, we have everything available to us, that Jesus has available to Him,
TBS. As Jesus is so are we in this world
1st John 4:17 NKJ
17. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.
Talk about a selah moment! We need to recognize that we are flooded with those selah moments, each and everyday of our lives!
a musical interlude; to pause and think about what was just said or sung; or to pause and watch for a visual demonstration of what was said or sung.'
So much to experience, so much to learn, so much to be thankful for,
Resolutions and requests are made, because the end result we are hoping for, is for our circumstances to be affected, or changed.
Its not our circumstances that need to change, but our mindset, our way of thinking. Because when our mindset and thinking, comes over and around to Gods way of thinking...our circumstances will begin to change effortlessly. And it won't be because of our effort, but because of Gods ability, given the privilege of working in us and on our behalf!
God is not moved, nor will He ever be affected by our circumstances, He is moved by our faith, which is, what we think He is capable of doing in our lives.
Hebrews 11:6 NKJ
6. But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Can you hear the music? This is another Selah moment!
a musical interlude; to pause and think about what was just said or sung; or to pause and watch for a visual demonstration of what was said or sung.
He is capable of doing as much, or as little in our lives, that we can believe Him for.
Why not believe a lot? Why not, once and for all...quit trying to tie Gods hands as to what we think He's capable of...and believe God has no parameters?
The only place God is limited, is in our mind! Selah, Selah?
Amen??
1 Kings 17:8-16 NKJ
8 Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 9 “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.” 10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink.” 11 And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.”
12 So she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.”
13 And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son. 14 For thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the Lord sends rain on the earth.’”
15 So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. 16 The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke by Elijah.
Sometimes we like to dwell on how big the situation seems, what we should be dwelling on is, how much bigger God is then any of our situations.
The answer is found in Jesus and the miraculous Grace, life changing message that He introduced to the world at the cross.
Hebrews 13:8-9 NKJ
8. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
9. Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them.
God says: that it is good that the heart be established by His grace and capabilities,
and once it is, grace will totally revolutionize your life.
God wants you to know and realize on a continuous basis, so that you know, that you know, that you know! His righteousness, healing, protection and prosperity, His unlimited everything is yours all the time, all paid for by Jesus, finished work at the cross.
Gods blessings are always available in your life because they are not dependent on your ability to live right, they're based on our ability to believe in His Son Jesus and that fact alone!
A life that is so wonderful, it's hard to believe something so wonderful not only exist, but is waiting to be lived! And you, you are the one, go to the mirror, that person looking back at you, is the one who decides if you want to live there.
Isaiah 55:2-3 NLT
2.Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength? Why pay for food that does you no good?
3.“Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen, and you will find life,
I will make an everlasting covenant with you, I will give you all the unfailing love I promised to David.
God says, “Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen, and you will find life,
God has so many good things in store for all our lives. The most grand life we could ever imagine, is not out of His realm of possibilities! Amen?
But unless we're willing to step out of the old life and into the new, It will never happen,
Too many of God's people hear about the plans He has for them, but are unwilling embrace, accept and apply them, to their own life. God's plans, aren’t resolutions, God's plans are the real thing, God's plans are reality!
Don’t look to your faith and understanding, always look to Jesus and all of the Possibilities, trusting Him can bring into your life.
TBS. in Hebrews chapter 2, that Jesus, is the author and finisher of our faith...
And when you know and trust the author, that's all you need to know! You can be sure every detail of the story, with each chapter, every word written, being greater than the one before!
Amen, lets pray.
