John 15:13-15
Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.
California Beach
The Birth of Isaac, the Son of Promise
After arriving in the land of Canaan, Abraham and his wife, Sarah, faced an impossible situation. God had promised to make a great nation from Abraham’s descendants. The problem was, Sarah was 90 and Abraham close to 100, and as yet they had no son through which God could fulfill His promise to them. Could God be taken at His Word? Abraham and Sarah faced what seemed to be an insurmountable challenge their faith, so they came up with a plan of their own to have a son. Sarah gave Abraham to her handmaid, Hagar, that Abraham might father a son through her. Hagar gave birth to a son, Ishmael. Ishmael would become the father of the Arab nations, but Abraham and Sarah were in for a big surprise as they looked adoringly at the son of their own planning. God informed them that Ishmael was not the son He had promised. Sarah, herself, would give birth to Abraham’s son within a year. Upon hearing this Sarah laughed, but God performed a miracle. The promised son was born, and at God’s direction he was named Isaac, meaning laughter. God specializes in impossible circumstances through which He can show Himself strong, and this is no laughing matter!
Priest Lake, Idaho
Joseph: from a Pit, to a Prison, to a Prince in a Palace!
Joseph was one of twelve sons born to his father, Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham. Jacob loved Joseph deeply because he was the son of his beloved wife, Rachel. Jacob played favorites when it came to his sons, showering Joseph with special honor and privileges. This did not sit too well with Joseph’s older siblings, who eventually hatched what they thought was a clever plan to get rid of their proud teenage brother once and for all. As a result of their jealous and heartless treatment, Joseph was thrown into a pit and left to die, his father being told he had been killed by wild beasts. This looked like an impossible situation for Joseph, but God wasn’t through with him just yet! God moved hearts and men, resulting in Joseph being sold into slavery in Egypt, where he eventually became a slave in the house of Potiphar, Pharaoh’s servant, serving him loyally. What was Joseph’s “reward” for all his hard work? He was falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife because he would not respond to her repeated sinful overtures. This landed Joseph in prison for many years. There was nothing he could do to help himself, so he waited on God and served faithfully even in prison. In time God vindicated Joseph, taking him out of the dingy prison, and putting him into a palace. Joseph rose to be second in authority only to Pharaoh in Egypt. Impossible! God not only honored Joseph, but He had a big surprise planned for Joseph’s brothers who had determined evil for him so many years earlier. Impossible circumstances sometimes lead to unique opportunities to display God’s glory.
Priest Lake, Idaho
God loves impossible situations!
Elijah, God’s prophet, faced an impossible and discouraging situation. The people of Israel refused to follow God and worshipped idols despite His unfailing kindness to them. How did Elijah handle these thankless rebels? He trusted God and turned to Him in fervent prayer. God responded with a series of amazing miracles that proved He, alone, was the true God, and challenged the people of Israel to obey God’s Word.
A Lake in Montana
Let’s consider another impossible situation from earlier in Israel’s history. God chose Abraham out of a pagan society and made a very important covenant with him. God asked Abraham to leave his country and family for a new land He would show him. Just imagine what a difficult thing God was asking Abraham to do. It was nearly an impossible challenge for Abraham, but he pulled up stakes and left his home in Ur of the Chaldeans, never turning back. God graciously blessed Abraham’s trust, declaring him to be righteous in His sight.
Now consider the children of Israel and another impossible situation in this timeline.
Then they arrived at to the Red Sea, facing another impossible situation
They were walled in on four sides:
So what could they do?
Multnomah Falls, Oregon
They cried to the Lord, and the Lord made a way through the Red Sea.
This is by means of another miracle led by Moses listening to God and following God’s command.
God’s people were griping and complaining while Moses was listening to God’s Word and depending on God’s grace.
God loves impossible situations!
God will always make a way through life’s challenges and difficulties if we believe Him, pray and trust Him.
Learn to pray through the rough situations that come your way and obey God.
God will put you in impossible situations to prove that He is God.
God has a purpose, a divine purpose resting behind every event in life. Many times we do not realize it till we look back and see God’s hand working, protecting and guiding us. Why did we meet this person, why did we end up at this church, at this fellowship, at this function in the body of Christ.
So now look at a few events in the Bible about Elijah.
Sea of Galilee, Israel
It was not what Elijah did, but who he was that is most significant. People love the story of the burnt sacrifice and how God proved that Jehovah is God. But the real significance of Elijah’s life and ministry is that he is a man who was available for whatever the Lord wanted to do. He followed The Lord, or to use a hard term for many “He Obeyed The Lord“. Elijah was a person what followed the Lord. Again not what he did, but that what he did was what the Lord was doing.
Even thought Elijah’s Prayer was wonderful, yet he is a person the Lord could use in any situation. Elijah prayed and the rain stopped, Elijah prayed and the rain came. The Lord could use him in any direction. Elijah could be used by God even when the direction or plans seem to change.
He did not stick to a program, but was available in many situations. I am not saying we should not have programs, but what if the Lord adjusts it or suspends it for a time, or sometimes terminates it?
Elijah is mentioned a few times in the New Testament, but not even mentioned in the great chapter on faith in Hebrews 11.
One day Jesus took a few disciples (Peter, James and John) to a high mountain, perhaps it was mount Hermon in northern Israel.
Mount Bachelor, Oregon
And there appeared with Jesus two people from the Old Testament: Moses and Elijah. These two represented the Law and the prophets. But why not Samuel, I always personally thought Samuel should be the top represented prophet, but God choose Moses and Elijah to appear with Jesus.
The two were talkng to Jesus, Luke says they were talking about Jesus’ death.
Then Peter had a “great idea”, no it was a “bad idea”. Peter wanted to build a great monument to all three people: Jesus, Moses ands Elijah. So the Father started to speak from heaven saying “This is my son, Hear Him“. We should never get distracted from Jesus.
All these events and activities have a divine purpose. These all show we need to follow Jesus and not be distracted by other things. We need to follow Him.
In the 1500’s there were many men and women who helped to change the world, but none as much as the German monk-turned-professor Martin Luther. He helped reform Christian tradition by speaking against the many religious errors of his day and comparing them to what the Bible actually teaches.
Lake Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
One area was the doctrine of justification by faith and works. Luther taught that the Scriptures declare a sinner is justified by faith in Christ alone (Ephesians 2:8-9) and not by works of penance. It is by grace that a believer is saved, plus nothing. Luther brought people back to what the Bible teaches, and not what traditions were teaching. That gracious salvation would lead to a changed life of good deeds, not the other way around.
Another problem that Luther wanted to fix was the medieval view of indulgences… a document Christians could buy which was supposed to pardon a person from the sins they had committed. Luther criticized this teaching because he believed it replaced the Biblical doctrine of repentance (1 John 1:9-10).
Another tradition Luther objected to was denying the authority of the Bible, by elevating religious traditions above the Old and New Testaments. Luther faithfully preached that the Bible, not the church, is the ultimate authority over matters of faith and life (Acts 5:29). Because the Bible was only allowed in Latin, an academic language, Luther chose to translate the Word of God into the German tongue so that any literate person in his land could read the Bible and learn its glorious message.
Lake Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
Luther and his fellow Reformers also helped restore congregational singing, lay leadership, the sanctity of common work for the glory of God, and a renewed focus on the centrality of the gospel in every area of a Christian’s life. While Luther had real flaws, he played an undeniably important role in the development of theology and the church in the 16th century.
Lake Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892) was a man of Bible study, prayer, preaching and teaching. It has been estimated that he preached to over 10 million people.
Idaho Sunset
Spurgeon loved Bible study, prayer and preaching.
Here is a great quote on prayer from C.H. Spurgeon: Of course the preacher is above all others distinguished as a man of prayer. He prays as an ordinary Christian, else he were a hypocrite. He prays more than ordinary Christians, else he were disqualified for the office which he has undertaken.
The best time to pray is in the morning. Enjoy this short video on Prayer in the morning.
The Bible is a book that tells a story. The story the Bible tells is God’s story. So the Bible is not written by God as a theology book, it is written to tell a wonderful story.
So in the Morning enjoy reading God’s story. So enjoy this animation about morning prayer and Bible reading.
God loves morning prayer time. What a great time to pray and think about God, the source of our life. The Morning sets the direction for the day.
Little Spokane River and Reflections
A new Christian song encouraging us to pray and let God worry about our life. The phrase was inspired by Martin Luther who in the 1600’s wrote to his wife in a letter “…Pray, let God worry…”
Enjoy a short devotional music song video on “Pray Pray Let God Worry”
Martin Luther (16th century monk) said “Pray, and let God worry“. Which means don’t worry, give the concern to God. He can handle it. Paul in Philippians 4:6 said: “Don’t worry; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”
Enjoy a short devotional video on “Pray, Let God Worry”
Little Spokane River Area
Anxiety never seems to go away. Anxiety and worry seem to be part of life.
Here is a video in which I shared on this subject.
So we need to pray and turn towards the Lord by praying, reading the Bible, singing or listening to inspiring Bible music.
Little Spokane River Area
Sometimes we need to back off and focus on God. In the world there are problems but have faith in Jesus.
Pray and Let God Worry
Don’t lose sight of Jesus.
Little Spokane River Area
In the gospels, Peter needed to keep his eyes on Jesus not the raging stormy waters.
Peter sank when he looked at the water. He needed to get his vision and perspective back on Jesus.
In Matthew 6:33 Jesus said: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”
Pray, and let God worry – Martin Luther
Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
Hebrew 13: 5-6 be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. 6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
Psalm 103:1-5, A Psalm of David
Isaiah 30:15 For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel;
In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.
So Isaiah is saying you need to slow down and trust God, but some of us have a hard time doing this. Just trust in Jesus.
Pray, Let God Worry