GETTING READY FOR GOD'S WORD THIS WEEKEND

For pastors and Bible teachers Saturday is a time for final prep for the messages to be shared with the church in Saturday evening and Sunday gatherings. Part of the prep is a time of prayer, asking God to anoint the message and the messenger. I think most of us who have the huge privilege of sharing God’s Word are humbled by the opportunity. I believe in the power of God’s Word, yet I do find myself wondering why it seems so many people’s lives remain unchanged by the teaching they receive. We can save that thought for a blog in the future.

I want to remind pastors and teachers who are “on” this weekend of something extremely important, while challenging those of you who will be “hearers of the Word” with a specific prayer point today. In Jeremiah 1 the Lord speaks to the prophet about a message he is to deliver to God’s people. While Jeremiah’s context was to be God’s mouthpiece to an entire nation (Israel) I believe the statements God makes to him can be applied to everyone who has the privilege of sharing the Word this weekend. (Verses are from the NIV)

V7: “Do not say, ‘I am only a child.’’ ~ If you are a younger pastor or teacher re-read 1 Timothy 4:12 before the next time you speak. Remember, it’s the sons and daughters who are going to prophesy in the last days. (Acts 2:17)

V7: “You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you.” ~ Another way to say this is: “No weak word this weekend.” Say it as God has directed you to say it! V8: “Do not be afraid of them…” 

V9: “Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, ‘Now, I have put my words in your mouth…’” ~ I hope through all of your prep this week you believe God has placed a word in your heart for those you will minister to this weekend. I hope what you’ve prepared is not just the product of diligent study, like writing a term paper, or something put together to entertain people with slick media and nice sounding words. Is it going to be God’s Word in your mouth?

I absolutely love what the Lord says to Jeremiah in V12: “…I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled.” (NAS, “I am watching over My word to perform it.") ~ Pastors and teachers, I don’t know if this verse will have the same effect on you, but personally I feel like it takes the pressure off me. I will be ready to go when my time to speak comes Sunday morning at King Mountain because I do take this responsibility very seriously, as I said. At the same time, the success of tomorrow does not rise and fall on my skills as a communicator or my creative abilities to connect with those listening. I’ll do my best in those areas, but I am depending on God to watch over his word.

To all my FB friends who are pastors and teachers, as well as others who read this blog via other links, as you stand to deliver God’s Word this weekend say it as God has directed you to say it! Do everything you need to do to be ready, and then relax and let God’s Word do the work and trust God to work his word into the hearts of those who will hear it.

I mentioned I also wanted to provide a prayer point for those of you who will be in a place to hear Bible teaching [preaching] this weekend, so here it is: Pray today for your pastor, teacher or small group leader. Ask God to prepare them and to prepare you. I know there are a few people who pray for those who will be teaching them, and I sincerely appreciate those who pray for me, but what if the majority prayed? I believe if you will take 10 or 15 minutes, it doesn’t have to be a long time, to pray, it will dramatically impact the way you hear God’s Word this weekend. And since God’s Word contains the power to change lives, get ready to be transformed!

YOU CAN RUN, BUT YOU CAN'T HIDE

In yesterday’s blog I referred to the GPS capabilities of the iPhones and Smartphones. What technology is just now figuring out how to accomplish, our Creator has done in our lives since the beginning. The psalmist David makes a couple of great statements in Psalm 139:7 (NLT) “I can never escape from your spirit! I can never get away from your presence!” (Note: Other translations present these two thoughts as two questions. The NLT translates them into statements for those who don’t do so well with tests) I’ve always looked at David’s statement as one of those things which can either be comforting or convicting, depending on the choices I am making in my life. If I am seeking to do the right things, I want the presence of God to surround my life. I don’t want to be separated from Him for even a moment.  On the other hand, if I am choosing against God’s Word and what he says is best and right, I don’t want to be reminded I can’t get away from his presence. 

It could be awkward to answer my wife when she asks, “I checked your GPS data on your Smartphone and, um, it says you’ve gone to Mallard’s Ice Cream four times this week. What are you doing there?” To which I would respond, “Err, ahh, buying gift certificates for people who serve at King Mountain.” I think that’s a good standard answer, and I am sticking to it! I can see advantages to being able to know the location of those you love and care about, especially when a serious situation arises. But how do you feel about the truth you can run from God, but you can’t hide from him? He’s got all the data on where we’ve gone, what we’ve done and who we’ve been hanging with. And, no, He doesn’t have to use a GPS chip. Is that a comforting or convicting reality?

I want to apply this truth in a slightly different direction. Many of us have people we love and deeply care about who aren’t living lives fully devoted to Jesus. Most of the time we have no idea of where they’re going, what they’re doing and who they’re hanging with. Our concern for their salvation moves us to frequent prayer for their safety. We live in hope that they will open up their heart to the amazing love of God, and the sooner the better. We fight against thoughts, suggested by Satan, that they will never choose Christ and will be eternally lost. If you are deeply concerned today about someone’s spiritual condition, I want to remind you of something: They can run, but they can’t hide from God…from his knowledge of them and his unending love for them. Even more, God, through the Holy Spirit, is pursuing them. He is seeking after them and speaking to them constantly. His love for them is relentless. He is not giving up. 

Jesus tells a divine love story, in Matthew 18, of a shepherd who owned a flock of a hundred sheep. Back in the day this was a nice sized flock and was sufficient to provide a substantial source of income. Losing one sheep was not that big of deal except when one wanders off, which is something sheep have a tendency to do, the shepherd in the story leaves the ninety-nine and sets off on a search for the lost one. I love the application Jesus makes of this short story in V14: “In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.” Praying parents, grandparents, uncles/aunts, friends, you can be confident the Shepherd is right now seeking and speaking to your loved ones who have “wandered” away. The word, lost, may describe someone’s spiritual condition but the Father’s children are never lost to him, he knows exactly where they are. Exactly!

“The Lord [Shepherd] knows those who are his.” 2 Timothy 2:19

SOMEONE IS WATCHING YOU!

I am not a huge online shopper but I’ve been known to occasionally purchase something via Amazon or Ebay or another online retailer. I love a great deal and to save money. I’ve made enough purchases via these websites they now send me emails to recommend items I may want to buy. It’s kind of creepy to think that my purchases and preferences are being tracked. There was a story in the news last week regarding the capability of iPhones and Smartphones to track and record everywhere a person goes. I’m not sure why this was such a big surprise, except maybe the fact phone companies are saving the data on each user.  

This seems like a good time to turn to Isaiah 40 and for each of us to be reminded that what online retailers and cell phone companies have begun doing in recent years, our everlasting Creator has been doing for eternity:

Verses 25-31 (New Living Translation)

25 "’To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal?’ asks the Holy One. 26 Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out one after another, calling each by its name. And he counts them to see that none are lost or have strayed away. 27 O Israel, how can you say the LORD does not see your troubles? How can you say God refuses to hear your case? 28 Have you never heard or understood? Don't you know that the LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth? He never grows faint or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. 29 He gives power to those who are tired and worn out; he offers strength to the weak. 30 Even youths will become exhausted, and young men will give up. 31 But those who wait on the LORD will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.”

This may be a rainy Monday but I think it’s encouraging to be reminded God knows us by name, he knows everything going on in our lives, and he is near to give us the strength we need to “fly high” today.