Islands #3
Notes
Transcript
Recap:
Isaiah 42:10 (NASB95)
10 Sing to the Lord a new song, Sing His praise from the end of the earth! You who go down to the sea, and all that is in it. You islands, and those who dwell on them.
God seems to see us as islands of people.
We have a world that seems to be falling apart all around us.
When Empires fall it’s islands of sanity that are the hope for humanity.
#3 Island of Healing
#3 Island of Healing
Ashes to Beauty, and Death to Life.
Isaiah 61:3–7 (NASB95)
3 To grant those who mourn in Zion, Giving them a garland instead of ashes, The oil of gladness instead of mourning, The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified. 4 Then they will rebuild the ancient ruins, They will raise up the former devastations; And they will repair the ruined cities, The desolations of many generations. 5 Strangers will stand and pasture your flocks, And foreigners will be your farmers and your vinedressers. 6 But you will be called the priests of the Lord; You will be spoken of as ministers of our God. You will eat the wealth of nations, And in their riches you will boast. 7 Instead of your shame you will have a double portion, And instead of humiliation they will shout for joy over their portion. Therefore they will possess a double portion in their land, Everlasting joy will be theirs.
Robert Moran ex Mayor of Seattle
In 1888 at age 31 Robert Moran became the mayor of thriving Seattle.
While building a thriving Seattle less than a year after being elected, the great fire of Seattle broke out destroying 29 blocks and almost 60 acres.
Moran, Rebuilt Seattle after the great fire and Rebuilt the water system that could have saved the city.
Rebuilt the port of Seattle thriving more than ever before through getting a government contract to build war ships at His companies dry dock.
Then one day at the age of 47 the doctors gave him six months to live.
He moved out to Orcas island and built a mansion to die in called Rosario.
Sold the port and dry dock and bought 5000 acres of Orcas island.
During the great depression he hired hundreds of men to build the mansion, Mount Constitution Towers, roads, and the Rosario arch.
Gave 3000 acres to become state park.
Ended up getting healed and claimed the island had healing powers,
Died at the age of 87 year old as widower.
The moral of Moran’s story is that many times it looked like the end but it was just a comma in his life and what looked like death ended up being healing to him and others.
Sometimes God gives us the spaces, places, or times that help us heal from what we just came out of.
It often looks like an end, but then it was just a comma to a new meaning of the whole.
ALife has been one of those places for many people who just got out of a break up, loss, and or betrayal.
Unplanned Islands
God’s plan.
Sometimes you crash land on an island.
Once upon a time a man named Paul was a prisoner of Romans in the city of Jerusalem.
While in prison Paul was able to witness to several leaders of his time and meet with friends and send letters to the church in places he had visited before.
Finally the day came that the Romans were to ship Paul to Rome to meet with Caesar so they could figure out what charges to charge him with or free him.
They ended up stuck in a port called Fair Havens which means goodly ports for a long pireod of time. While there Paul tried to worn them that they would lose their ship and maybe their lives if they left port.
Acts 27:10 (NASB95)
10 and said to them, “Men, I perceive that the voyage will certainly be with damage and great loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.”
They left anyways and found themselves in a great storm.
Paul heard from God that no one would be harmed and the Romans and other prisoners believed them.
Their ship recked and they found themselves on an island called Melita, but not a single person was hurt.
Acts 28:3 (NASB95)
3 But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened itself on his hand.
While on this island Paul shared the gospel to the natives and the Romans from his ship.
Many people gave their lives to Jesus and that island spread the gospel of Jesus from then on.
The moral of the story is that Even the crash landings of your life can end up with a greater story than if your life sailed smoothly.
Paul crash landed on an Island call Melita.
Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon (3194 Μελίτη, Μελιτήνη)
Melita = “honey”.
Maybe God wants you to create a Topical Island around the theme when your life felt like an end but it was just a comma.
Topical Islands around the topic that God healed you in.
Like when you lost a loved one.
When your children had to move on.
When you were overcoming addiction.
When you had your heart broken.
When you felt alone but found your true self.
Topical Islands around the topic that God healed you in.
24 Pleasant words are a honeycomb, Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.
Closing:
God will sometimes lead us to an unplanned island of healing that either heals us or others and sometimes both.
These times in our lives become our topical islands that are honey to those going through what we went through.
If you feel like you have just had a great ending happen, be open to the fact that God maybe planning this to be a comma not a period.
You may have felt like you crash landed in an unexpected circumstance or that may happen in your future. Do not lose heart. Stay your eyes and ears to Jesus and keep listening letting Him use you to bring healing and glory to Him.
Sometimes you will find yourself on an island or gathering and island of people for healing to happen.
Activation:
Jesus, Is there a time in my life that You meant to be a comma not a period in my life?
Who do You want me to be that healing island for?
Is their a topical island You want me to create so others can make it through their crisis?
Other Resources:
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and turn away from evil. 8 It will be healing to your body And refreshment to your bones.
20 “Your sun will no longer set, Nor will your moon wane; For you will have the Lord for an everlasting light, And the days of your mourning will be over.
3 “You will tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day which I am preparing,” says the Lord of hosts.
A Psalm of David. 1 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. 3 He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Robert Moran
https://www.historylink.org/file/11015