Give God your current situation
"You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result." Genesis 50:20.
Joseph's life was anything but peaceful.
It was complicated by youthful folly, broken dreams, and the mean-spirited actions of others.
Sold into slavery by jealous brothers.
Thrown into prison on false charges.
Yet he remained a man remarkable for his lack of bitterness or regret.
Always seeing God as the "Great Engineer" behind even the worst of circumstances.
In a final confrontation with his brothers, he graciously noted:
"You meant it for bad; God meant it for good."
The theology packed in that statement is astounding!
"God meant it for good" means:
You can accept the past!
No sin, no action, no choice on your part is too big for God to handle - or too big to be worked for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28
Ask his fearful and famished brothers, who were forced to rely on him for survival.
You can embrace the present!
There's no need to play the "what if" game.
The past is gone, and no energy you expend will ever change it.
The future is in God's omnipotent hands -- so you're free to focus on the present.
Your job is to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind, trusting Him to forgive the past and transform the future.
Jim Eliot once wrote, "Wherever you are, be all there!" -- not living in the past and not fantasizing about the future.
God wants you in the present because that's where His grace will flow.
You can look expectantly toward the future!!!
Even if you make mistakes today --
God still controls your future.
Walking in the Spirit, you can live life to the fullest, unafraid of making mistakes and unconcerned that you may stumble into some terrible circumstance that takes you out of God's control. Even when things appear to be terrible, you can trust that God is working out some divine plan through you.
So what?
No matter how bad things get --
God is still able to bring good out of it.
Today, thank God that nothing - no disaster, no delay - is bigger that His ability to turn it into something good and godly.
Thank God and let go!
Thank God that He is sovereign over your past, your present, and your future.
Give God the circumstances, disasters, hindrances, hurts, and sins from your past.
Give God your current situation, your disasters, hindrances, hurts, and sins of today.
Praise God that He can work anything in your future for godly good, that you can walk in confidence that there is nothing anyone can do to you, or anything you can do that will be beyond the reach of God's grace and redemption.
Look for God's hand!
Walking by faith means you see God's hand even in the most difficult of circumstances.
You trust His ability and His willingness to transform the bad into godly good.
God is not limited by people's motives.
In other words, it doesn't matter why someone hurt you --
God still can transform a deliberate, mean-spirited situation into something for His good.
My Manna
October 30, 2008
October 4, 2008
Choicest Pearl - Part 3
Choicest Pearl - Part 3
"All who receive God's wonderful, gracious gift of righteousness will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ" Romans 5:17b NLT
"That pearl, Sahib, is perfect," replied the Indian quietly. The missionary looked up quickly with a new thought: Was not this the very opportunity and occasion he had prayed for to make Rambhau understand the value of Christ's sacrifice? So he said, designedly, "Rambhau, this is a wonderful pearl, an amazing pearl. Let me buy it. I would give you ten thousand dollars for it."
"Sahib! What do you mean?"
"Well, I will give you fifteen thousand dollars for it, or if it takes more I will work for it."
"Sahib," said Rambhau, stiffening his whole body, "this pearl is beyond price. No man in all the world has money enough to pay what this pearl is worth to me. On the market a million dollars could not buy it. I will not sell it to you. You may only have it as a gift."
"No, Rambhau, I cannot accept that. As much as I want the pearl, I cannot accept it that way. Perhaps I am proud, but that is too easy. I must pay for it, or work for it."
The old pearl-diver was stunned. "You don't understand at all, Sahib. Don't you see? My only son gave his life to get this pearl, and I wouldn't sell it for any money. Its worth is in the life-blood of my son. I cannot sell this but I can give it to you. Just accept it in token of the love I bear you."
The missionary was choked, and for a moment could not speak. Then he gripped the hand of the old man. "Rambhau," he said in a low voice, "Don't you see? My words are just what you have been saying to God all the time."
The diver looked long and searchingly at the missionary, and slowly, slowly he began to understand. "God is offering to you salvation as a free gift," said the missionary. "It is so great and priceless that no man on earth can buy it. Millions of dollars are too little. No man on earth could earn it in a million years. No man is good enough to deserve it. It cost God the life-blood of His only Son to make the entrance for you into heaven. In a million years, in a hundred pilgrimages, you could not earn that entrance. All you can do is to accept it as a token of God's love for you --- a sinner --- saved by HIS grace.
"Rambhau, of course I will accept the pearl in deep humility, praying God I may be worthy of your love. Rambhau, won't you accept God's great gift of heaven, too, in deep humility, knowing it cost Him the death of His Son to offer it to you?"
Great tears were now rolling down the cheeks of the old man. The veil was beginning to lift. "Sahib, I see it now. I have believed in the doctrine of Jesus for the last two years, but I could not believe that His salvation was free. Now I understand. Some things are too priceless to be bought or earned. Sahib, I will accept His salvation!"
Part 1
Part 2
Prayer: Father thank you for priceless salvation through Your Son Jesus which is a free gift to all who receive him. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen!
Pastor Bill
"All who receive God's wonderful, gracious gift of righteousness will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ" Romans 5:17b NLT
"That pearl, Sahib, is perfect," replied the Indian quietly. The missionary looked up quickly with a new thought: Was not this the very opportunity and occasion he had prayed for to make Rambhau understand the value of Christ's sacrifice? So he said, designedly, "Rambhau, this is a wonderful pearl, an amazing pearl. Let me buy it. I would give you ten thousand dollars for it."
"Sahib! What do you mean?"
"Well, I will give you fifteen thousand dollars for it, or if it takes more I will work for it."
"Sahib," said Rambhau, stiffening his whole body, "this pearl is beyond price. No man in all the world has money enough to pay what this pearl is worth to me. On the market a million dollars could not buy it. I will not sell it to you. You may only have it as a gift."
"No, Rambhau, I cannot accept that. As much as I want the pearl, I cannot accept it that way. Perhaps I am proud, but that is too easy. I must pay for it, or work for it."
The old pearl-diver was stunned. "You don't understand at all, Sahib. Don't you see? My only son gave his life to get this pearl, and I wouldn't sell it for any money. Its worth is in the life-blood of my son. I cannot sell this but I can give it to you. Just accept it in token of the love I bear you."
The missionary was choked, and for a moment could not speak. Then he gripped the hand of the old man. "Rambhau," he said in a low voice, "Don't you see? My words are just what you have been saying to God all the time."
The diver looked long and searchingly at the missionary, and slowly, slowly he began to understand. "God is offering to you salvation as a free gift," said the missionary. "It is so great and priceless that no man on earth can buy it. Millions of dollars are too little. No man on earth could earn it in a million years. No man is good enough to deserve it. It cost God the life-blood of His only Son to make the entrance for you into heaven. In a million years, in a hundred pilgrimages, you could not earn that entrance. All you can do is to accept it as a token of God's love for you --- a sinner --- saved by HIS grace.
"Rambhau, of course I will accept the pearl in deep humility, praying God I may be worthy of your love. Rambhau, won't you accept God's great gift of heaven, too, in deep humility, knowing it cost Him the death of His Son to offer it to you?"
Great tears were now rolling down the cheeks of the old man. The veil was beginning to lift. "Sahib, I see it now. I have believed in the doctrine of Jesus for the last two years, but I could not believe that His salvation was free. Now I understand. Some things are too priceless to be bought or earned. Sahib, I will accept His salvation!"
Part 1
Part 2
Prayer: Father thank you for priceless salvation through Your Son Jesus which is a free gift to all who receive him. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen!
Pastor Bill
October 1, 2008
Choicest Pearl - Part 2
Choicest Pearl - Part 2
"When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it." Matthew 13:46 NLT
Continued from yesterday:
Rambhau left the room to return soon with a small but heavy English strongbox. "I have had this box for years," said he, "and I keep only one thing in it. Now I will tell you about it, Sahib Morse. I once had a son ---"
"A son! Why, Rambhau, you have never before said a word about him!"
"No, Sahib, I couldn't." Even as he spoke the diver's eyes were moistened.
"Now I must tell you, for soon I will leave, and who knows whether I shall ever return? My son was a diver too. He was the best pearl diver on the coasts of India. He had the swiftest dive, the keenest eye, the strongest arm, the longest breath of any man who ever sought for pearls. What joy he brought to me! Most pearls, as you know, have some defect or blemish only the expert can discern, but my boy always dreamed of finding the perfect pearl --- one beyond all that was ever found. One day he found it! But even when he saw it he had been under water too long --- That pearl cost him his life, for he died soon after."
The old pearl diver bowed his head. For a moment his whole body shook, but there was no sound. "All these years," he continued, "I have kept this pearl but now I am going, not to return, and to you, my best friend I am giving my pearl."
The old man worked the combination on the strongbox and drew from it a carefully wrapped package. Gently opening the cotton, he picked up a mammoth pearl and placed it in the hand of the missionary. It was one of the largest pearls ever found off the coast of India, and glowed with a luster and brilliance never seen in cultured pearls. It would have brought a fabulous sum in any market.
For a moment the missionary was speechless and gazed with awe. "Rambhau! What a pearl!"
Part 3
Part 1
Prayer: Father thank you for the gift of love between a father and his son. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen!
Pastor Bill
"When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it." Matthew 13:46 NLT
Continued from yesterday:
Rambhau left the room to return soon with a small but heavy English strongbox. "I have had this box for years," said he, "and I keep only one thing in it. Now I will tell you about it, Sahib Morse. I once had a son ---"
"A son! Why, Rambhau, you have never before said a word about him!"
"No, Sahib, I couldn't." Even as he spoke the diver's eyes were moistened.
"Now I must tell you, for soon I will leave, and who knows whether I shall ever return? My son was a diver too. He was the best pearl diver on the coasts of India. He had the swiftest dive, the keenest eye, the strongest arm, the longest breath of any man who ever sought for pearls. What joy he brought to me! Most pearls, as you know, have some defect or blemish only the expert can discern, but my boy always dreamed of finding the perfect pearl --- one beyond all that was ever found. One day he found it! But even when he saw it he had been under water too long --- That pearl cost him his life, for he died soon after."
The old pearl diver bowed his head. For a moment his whole body shook, but there was no sound. "All these years," he continued, "I have kept this pearl but now I am going, not to return, and to you, my best friend I am giving my pearl."
The old man worked the combination on the strongbox and drew from it a carefully wrapped package. Gently opening the cotton, he picked up a mammoth pearl and placed it in the hand of the missionary. It was one of the largest pearls ever found off the coast of India, and glowed with a luster and brilliance never seen in cultured pearls. It would have brought a fabulous sum in any market.
For a moment the missionary was speechless and gazed with awe. "Rambhau! What a pearl!"
Part 3
Part 1
Prayer: Father thank you for the gift of love between a father and his son. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen!
Pastor Bill
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