Top 10 Lessons From The Crawlspace Cat

INTRO: In early spring Julie and I noticed something weird..

PLEASE STAND FOR THE READING OF GOD’S WORD!

Isaiah 43:18–19 “Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert.”

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

PRAYER!

The Top 10 Lessons From The Crawlspace Cat

10. We All Long For Acceptance

Romans 15:7 “Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God.”

9. Prayer Works

Mark 11:24 “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.”

1 John 5:15 “And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.”

8. Sometimes Blessings Are Disguised As Burdens In The Beginning

The Israelites in the desert, The disciples in the raging sea, The death of Lazarus

Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

7. Don’t Go Back To The Old Way, When There’s A New, Better Way

After this crawlspace cat finally warmed up to us, we had her spayed and brought her into our home, held her night and day, let her sleep in our bed, fed her 3 squares a day, I thought it would be a good idea to take her out to our front porch so she could get some fresh air and see something she would recognize, guess what happened? She made a beeline for the entrance back into crawlspace!

And how many times have you experienced this yourself and seen way too often in new Christians? You cant move forward looking in the rearview mirror.

Colossians 3:1–2 “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.”

Isaiah 43:18–19 “Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert.”

Philippians 3:13–14 “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Galatians 5:1 “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.”

Romans 6:4 “Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”

Jesus Himself said:

Luke 9:62 “But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

6. There Will Be Challenges In The New Better Way

“Jimbo”

John 16:33 “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

Jesus doesn’t want his followers to be caught off guard when things go sideways. He tells us plainly, we will face troubles in this world. 

Christians need to be aware that life will not always go according to plan. Not only will things inevitably go wrong in this world, but they are part of God’s plan. If we aren’t expecting this, we will react out of fear and confusion rather than faith. 

5. Healing Comes in Surprising Ways

Small actions can have a ripple effect, leading to big impact in the hands of the Miracle Worker. 

Many of the biggest miracles in The Bible started off in a very small change.

Elijah when a devastating 3.5 yr drought went up to Mt Caramel and seriously prayed! crouched down, head between knees! The 3.5 yr drought ended with a “small cloud the size of a man’s hand.” 6 times Elijah sent his servant up and look toward the sea to see if there was any sign for rain. 6x the answer was no, oh but on 7th time an answer to his fervent prayer. I bet Elijah was glad he didn’t quit after 6 consecutive reports of no.

David and Goliath: One small stone fells a giant.

A handful of flour and an empty jar.

A baby in a manger.

A mustard seed.

Five loaves and two fishes.

Ephesians 3:20 “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,”

Don’t put God in a box of your making, He operates at totally different level, one you can’t fathom.

4. What A Difference A Day Makes!

So one day I notice it’s really quiet in the house, so I got up to check on Julie and couldn’t find her, I looked in the bathroom, nope. I looked out the back door, nope. So I went to a window in the front of house and low and behold, there’s Julie hand feeding the crawlspace cat and petting her!

400 years, 146k days of nothing, then:

Luke 1:11–17 “Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

3. Fear Keeps Us Bound To A Dark Place

The devil tries to create fear, anxiety, and doubt in God’s promises, aiming to weaken faith and trust in God.

Worry and doubt is practical atheism!

Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

Romans 8:15 “For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”

2 Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

2 Corinthians 10:5 “casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,”

2. Life’s Biggest Blessings Are Free

Your spouse, your kids, grandkids, your health(Mental, spiritual, physical) your beloved pet all of us have been crushed by the death of a beloved dog or cat. The best things in life are indeed free.

1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

In fact, tell me what all these verses from God’s word have in common?

Colossians 3:15 “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.”

Psalm 118:1 “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.”

Philippians 4:6–7 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Psalm 50:14 “Offer to God thanksgiving, And pay your vows to the Most High.”

Blessings of Relationships

Our relationships with others can be some of the most profound blessings in life. Family, friends, and even acquaintances enrich our lives in ways we often take for granted. The Bible teaches us to cherish these connections and treat others with love, respect, and kindness.

1. Love Conquers All

If God is love, and as Christians we believe this 100% and we know that in Matthew 10:29-31 It says that not one sparrow falls to the ground outside of God's care, and that even the very hairs of our head are all numbered. This verse provides comfort and reassurance that God is faithful in caring for all His creations, even the smallest and seemingly insignificant ones, such as sparrows or stray feral cats..  tells us that God even watches over the sparrows and cares deeply for them. If God cares for them so deeply Shouldn’t we too? I think the answer is a resounding yes! I believe God brings circumstances into our life to see if we will respond with love , or not.

1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.”

1 John 4:8 “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”

Love is what set this crawlspace cat free. free from a life of isolation and darkness, free from fear and rejection.

Just like God’s love sent His Son Jesus to set us free from a life of isolation, darkness, fear and rejection

CALL UP WORSHIP TEAM!

IN CLOSING:

PRAY!!