Monthly Archives: January 2018

But God…..

Matthew 19:26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

I am a word search guy; when God lays a word, a phrase, a piece of memory jogged with a partial scripture, that is where I begin to search. I use online tools to refine my search, and He always leads me to what he wanted to show me, many times not where I even thought it was going. I love how God works when we seek him, especially when we follow his leading. Yesterday the phrase, “but God” was on my heart all day. Later in the day I searched, and the first one was over 600 entries. I found the passage that He spoke to my heart, and posted on social media, which turned into a HUGE encouragement from a lifelong friend, how God had worked in that instance. Ephesians 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved). God moves outside of our boundaries, of what we think we know, and shows us evidences of himself in just these “but God” instances.

This morning very early, that phase still haunted my mind. I found myself deeper into the search, when I came upon this variation, yet a seemingly summary to what I am feeling. Matthew 19:26 But Jesus looked at them and said the them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” The depth of the context of this passage is as deep as it comes, for Jesus was speaking of how to get to heaven, and yet it’s simplicity is found in the “but God.” The rich young ruler was full of religion, yet headed to Hell. The world that commands our attention, that demands we focus on it’s measure of worth, Jesus says that it is easier to stuff a 2000 pound animal through the eye of a needle. We weigh our earthly worth by our wealth of any means, and likely weigh our heavenly worth by our religiosity. The sin within us steers both trains of thought. We must measure by a standard to know whether we have met it or not. “But God” abolishes the standard when he provided what we cannot attain. God provided perfection, sacrificed it, and raised it from the dead to atone for our sins, all bore out of a love for us while we were still sinners. That love is incomprehensible……but God is at the root of the Gospel.

How will you ever know or see the power of the “but God” in your life? How will you ever see the transformation of your life without seeking him more than just Sunday’s religiosity that condemns? 1 Corinthians 2:10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. The only way for your life to become a “but God” life, is to let him have control of it; to surrender yourself, to lay down your cross, and to seek him with all your heart, mind, body and soul. To love him with all your heart above everything else in life. To place him above your spouse, your children, your job, and your wealth. You will be used by God to encourage others; you will produce heavenly fruit that you do not see the rewards until Heaven. You will live your “but God” story as a testimony to the saving grace he bestowed upon you through Jesus Christ. Let today be the day you surrender, and become victorious through “but God.”

Need Prayer?

Colossians 4:2-4 Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; 3 meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains, 4 that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.

Some things change, some things remain the same. The older we get, the more we realize the depth of that statement. We begin to see more of the seasons of life, how things we got used to seemed to pass us by, seem to be gone with the “progress” of life, the growth around us, the passing and aging of time. We see those in our circles aging, we loose family members to health, we find ourselves trapped in bodies that cannot do what seemingly accomplished only a short time ago did. We see the busyness of time rob of us the precious commodity we begin to cherish more with each passing day. The older we get, we begin to grasp the urgency, frailty, and finality of our time in this life. Aging brings about wisdom, and we begin to value and invest more deeply in what truly matters in life, our investment in others.

What was the apostle Paul’s plea in the passage above as he was in prison in Rome? What was his plea, his request that he asked for help for? We all might think as anyone would, to get me out of prison! “Do whatever you can to get me out of here”! No, Paul asked for help to share his faith. Paul asked for prayer, he humbled himself and said, “I need help.” As Christians we should never be so proud, even so proud of our faith, that we do not humble ourselves and ask for help in any way, especially in prayer. James 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. Paul was pleading to be in the center of God’s will in this imprisonment; Paul wanted only the doors to be opened by God to share the gospel with those Roman guards. Paul understood how important it was to share his faith with a people group that had not heard it so clearly. Paul knew that God could do a mighty work through the confinements that Paul found himself. What choice would the guards have? They were likely chained to Paul, and with the answered prayers of God preparing their hearts, Paul must just boldly speak and watch God stir the hearts of those before him. Oh to us have the focus of Paul. What are you chained to that you have not proclaimed your faith to? Who do you see every day at school or work that does not know you are a Christian? Who have you not prayed for, and asked those to pray for you, that needs to hear about Jesus?

This walk through life comes in seasons. God lets you pass from one to another, and will ask you to give an account of each. My ministries have changed, just like the seasons of my life. This ministry has been replaced by another online ministry. We as a family have found a new church home, and see doors opening there. We as a family are embarking on a new adventure with a track-side prayer ministry, and look forward to seeing God work there. All of this has been, and still is, covered in prayer. We never want to move without God, but always want the opportunity such as Paul to be used by God. Why don’t you ask someone to pray for you?