How God Works (3)

'Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up...' Acts 3:7 NIV

As we close this today...A few important observations: (1) Peter allowed God to change his plans. ‘…Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon.’ (Acts 3:1 NIV) Is prayer important? Yes, it’s all–important! But you can get so caught up in church activities that you walk past hurting people sitting on the church’s doorstep. You must be sensitive to people’s needs, available to God, and willing to change your plans at a moment’s notice.

(2) Peter used the name that’s bigger than any problem. ‘…In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.’ (Acts 3:6 NIV) And he did! Paul writes, ‘…At the name of Jesus every knee should bow…every tongue should confess that Jesus…is Lord…’ (Philippians 2:10–11 NKJV) You say, ‘What’s in a name?’ In this case—everything! At the name of Jesus hell trembles, sin is forgiven, sickness is healed and stubborn habits broken.

 (3) Peter did more than pray; he extended a helping hand. ‘Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk.’ (Acts 3:7–8 NIV) Today you’re surrounded by people who need help to get back on their feet spiritually, emotionally, physically, and financially. Reach out in love and lift them! They don’t need you to spend the rest of your life supporting them. They just need a hand up—and an introduction to the One who’s able and waiting to meet their need. God used Peter to bring deliverance to this man, and He will use you too. But you have to be ready.

You are Loved!

How God Works (2)

'...A man who was lame from birth was being carried to the Temple gate...to beg.' Acts 3:2 NIV

Wow Tuesday and it seems God has already done so much this week. Do you believe God still works like He did in the Bible? If you do you are in for an amazing journey. In Acts 3 the Bible says: ‘When he saw Peter and John…he asked them for money…Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly…he jumped to his feet and began to walk…’ (Acts 3:3–8 NIV) This story raises three questions about our belief system:

(1) What’s your area of weakness? That’s important to know, because a handicap in one area can cripple you in other areas. Apart from lacking strength in his ankles this man was normal, but his weakness stopped him from living a happy life. We all struggle with something. ‘The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience…’ (1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT)

(2) How are you handling your weakness? This man was at the Temple gate to beg. Why are you there? You need to know that, before you can get up and move on. Refuse to settle there; rise up and say: ‘This may be who I am now, but by God’s grace it’s not who I’m going to be!’

(3) What are you expecting? A crutch to help you live with your problem? A way to avoid doing what’s necessary to become whole? This man was looking for handouts, not healing. But handouts won’t get you back on your feet. Furthermore, when your focus is limited to what people can do for you, it can cause you to miss what God can do for you. By God’s power this man got up and walked—and you can, too.

You are Loved!

How God Works (1)

'Indeed, the "right time" is now.' 2 Corinthians 6:2 NLT

It's that time of year and love is in the air...Just a reminder that if you signed up for the Valentine's Day Progressive Dinner its this Saturday 5pm. Barb Beach and team will be giving you a call to remind you. Thank you to everyone who made yesterday a success! Engage, Belong, Serve, and Give...We did it all!

So how does God work? The story of this incapacitated man’s healing is rich in lessons. For the next few days we will find out together:

(1) He was in a beautiful situation but he wasn’t enjoying it. ‘…A man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg…’ (Acts 3:2 NIV) When you have a stubborn problem in your life that just won't seem to go away; even if you’re in a beautiful situation, you can’t enjoy it.

(2) This man was so close to the answer but it was beyond his reach. Every day he sat at the Temple gates watching others go in and be blessed. But because of his condition, the Law of Moses prevented him from doing the same. Think about where you are today—in church, at work, sitting at home not able to receive what God has for you? You sing the songs, pray the prayers, and listen to the sermons, but you still have the same old problem?

(3) When his moment of deliverance came, he needed help to seize it. ‘Peter said…“In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up…’ (Acts 3:6–7 NIV) This man had no reason to think that today would be any different. He didn’t know God had earmarked it on His calendar as the day of his deliverance. And this could be your day! ‘At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.’ (2 Corinthians 6:2 NLT) The ‘right time’ for you is now. But it won’t happen until you acknowledge your need of God and get ready to receive His help. That means keeping your faith strong, your heart open, and speaking God’s promises over your situation.

You are loved!

Searching for Significance (3)

'The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.' Romans 8:18 KJV

I don't know if you remember Viktor Frankl, he was sent to Auschwitz and had been researching a book on Finding Life’s Meaning. But when his clothes were suddenly taken from him, including the manuscript he’d hidden in his coat lining, he questioned whether his life had real meaning at all. Then something happened: the Nazis gave him the rags of an inmate who’d just been sent to the gas chamber and Frankl found in the pocket a page containing a Jewish prayer (from Deuteronomy 6:4–5): ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one God. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.’ ‘How should I interpret such a coincidence?’ he asked himself. ‘Other than to live my thoughts instead of merely putting them on paper?’ Later he wrote, ‘Nothing in the world will so effectively help you to survive as the knowledge that there is a purpose to your life. He who has a “why” to live for, can bear almost any “how”.’

Think about this: Charles Dickens was lame. Homer was blind. Plato was a hunchback. Sir Walter Scott was paralysed; Paul spent almost seven years of his ministry in prison. What gave each of these people the stamina to overcome their circumstances? Purpose! Each of them had a dream, fuelled by a fire within that could not be extinguished. They had a ‘why’ that was bigger than every ‘how’. Do you?

You are Loved!

Searching for Significance (2)

'Thank You for making me...' Psalm 139:14 NLT

We search for significance in different ways. We think that if we can connect with someone special, we’ll become someone special. Or we try to outlive life. We get bombarded daily with our mortality and how we can buy are way into significance. When the billionaire realizes he will run out of years before he runs out of money, he establishes a foundation. We have kids for the same reason. One day, when we die, we hope our descendants will remember ‘good old Dad’ or ‘sweet old Mom’ and we’ll extend our lives via theirs. The famous atheist Bertrand Russell said, ‘I believe that when I die my bones will rot and nothing shall remain of my ego.’ You say, ‘He can’t be right.’ He’s not! Jesus said, ‘…the very hairs on your head are all numbered.’ (Matthew 10:30 NKJV) We monitor other things like the amount of money in the bank, gas in the tank, and pounds on the scale. But hair? We style hair, color hair, cut hair, but we don’t count hair. God does. God planned you, knows everything about you, and loves you. The Psalmist said: ‘You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvellous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God…’ (Psalm 139:13–17 NLT)

Searching for Significance (1)

'...You are Mine.' Isaiah 43:1 NKJV

Do you remember the hit song by Dean Martin, You’re Nobody till Somebody Loves You? I know for some you are saying Dean who? I was watching the Super bowl halftime show and I kept asking the same question, who's that? If you have ever heard the song you know that the lyrics show up our deepest concern in life.

We want our lives to matter, to mean something. Our deepest fear is of coming and going—and nobody knowing!

We strive with our lack of education, our spot on the financial totem pole, and our looks. That’s why it bothers us when a friend forgets to call, or a teacher forgets our name, or a colleague takes credit for something we have done. We crave attention, drop the names of important people in conversations, and put flashy hubcaps on our cars. Fashion publicists tell us, ‘You’ll be somebody if you wear our jeans.’ So we go out and spend half our wages on a pair of designer jeans. But then—horror of horrors—the style changes from tight to baggy, faded to black, and we’re left wearing yesterday’s jeans, feeling like yesterday’s news.
Simply stated: you can’t gain significance from the outside. It’s an inside job. Your sense of significance must come from Someone you trust, Someone you know will never change, Someone who knows the worst about you and yet remains committed to maturing you. And that Someone is God. He keeps His promises to Israel and He’ll keep His promises to you. ‘Thus says the Lord, who created you…who formed you…Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned…For I am the Lord your God…you [are] precious in My sight.’ (Isaiah 43:1–4 NKJV)

You are Loved!

Grace To Handle Life

'He gives more grace.' James 4:6 NKJV

For everyone who is in a Seahawk hangover this morning I'm with you. There are so many questions I have like why not just run the ball? But hey it's done and here we sit. The Seahawks need grace just like we do. Why is grace so important? I witnessed a family sometime ago who was at church rehearsing for the Christmas program when their home burned down. It wasn't their first tragedy that year. Three months earlier when a friend, a widow with two children, died of cancer, this couple took her kids to live with them as part of the family. So when their house was destroyed it wasn't just their home they lost, it was home to two children who'd already lost their parents. The following week as they sifted through the ashes they found a slip of paper that survived the fire. On it they read these words: 'Contentment: Realizing God has already provided everything we need for our present happiness.'

God gives you 'more grace' when you walk through fiery trials. Charles Swindoll says: 'Our whole perspective changes when we catch a glimpse of the purpose of Christ. Take that away, and it's nothing more than a bitter, terrible experience. Suffering comes in many forms, but His grace is always there to carry us beyond it. I've endured a sufficient number of trials to say without hesitation that only Christ's perspective can replace resentment with rejoicing. Jesus is the central piece of suffering's puzzle. If we fit Him into place, the rest begins to make sense.'

When life blindsides us...abuse, foreclosure, disease, divorce, death, job loss or financial collapse brings us to our knees...grace says there's more love after infidelity, more joy after the diagnosis, and more life after financial ruin...grace is real...an indomitable gift with power to change your life. But it does come with one condition-like any gift, you have to hold out your hand and accept it.

You are Loved!