God wont always give you want you want but he will give you what you need
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Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”
Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and of good courage, for you must go with this people to the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it. And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.”
This last few months has been very trying for all of us, Trust me I know between the effects and the stress and concerns of the virus and the ripple effects like the economy caused by this virus has probably changed us in ways we cannot truly imagine. The stress and fears have been at a all time High, people don't know what they should or shouldn't do, Pastors are not exempt from this feeling as we are human as well, Yes I know the scripture say
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
And i do pray but its easy as a mere man to find our mind in concern, concern for our friends concern for our church for our community for our family
When faced with such concerns I do pray but I also tend to immerse myself into projects to keep my mind busy to try to take the load of the worry off a bit.
I have done this during these difficult times, as I struggle to continue to encourage to edify to lead the People that God has entrusted me over I immersed my self with Projects to take some of the worry away but by doing this I found myself getting burned out. Physically and Spiritually and emotionally.
This last week in the mountains God has reminded me of How Great He is how He is still with us how He is still in control and though I may not always get what I want I will be given what I need.
So lets talk a little about what i wanted. I wanted to see a new generation of people flock into these doors on fire filled by the Spirit of the Living God willing and wanting to go Out into the community to find and bring forth more that the community of Hamilton would be changed in a way not seen in generations.
This has been my want but it also was wanted in urgency I know that All things happen under the will and grace of God even in His perfect timing but in the back of this old mind I found myself fighting this very true principle that i knew to be true. If I work harder if I do more If I talk to more preach harder then these thing will begin to happen.
But what I found was the opposite to be true. Though I wanted them God had already given me what I needed. Though I have always loved and cared about every one of you like most pastors I saw success as growth. I almost missed the personal grown happening in the people that God had set me over.
I still believe God will grow the church but it will be of His grace and not my efforts that He alone may be glorified’
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
So on to How God revealed himself to me this week.
Story of two accidents
How many of you feel like a wreck you have felt like you have been going uphill the whole way through the thorns through the briars of life its been a long....... its been a hard........ Road hasnt it? Yes I know it has..................... God knows it has .................and He has sent me here today to tell you that He is with you he shall not leave you he shall not forsake you
But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob,
And He who formed you, O Israel:
“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,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.
For I am the Lord your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I gave Egypt for your ransom,
Ethiopia and Seba in your place.
Since you were precious in My sight,
You have been honored,
And I have loved you;
Therefore I will give men for you,
And people for your life.
Fear not, for I am with you;
I will bring your descendants from the east,
And gather you from the west;
I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’
And to the south, ‘Do not keep them back!’
Bring My sons from afar,
And My daughters from the ends of the earth—
Everyone who is called by My name,
Whom I have created for My glory;
I have formed him, yes, I have made him.”
Bring out the blind people who have eyes,
And the deaf who have ears.
Let all the nations be gathered together,
And let the people be assembled.
Who among them can declare this,
And show us former things?
Let them bring out their witnesses, that they may be justified;
Or let them hear and say, “It is truth.”
“You are My witnesses,” says the Lord,
“And My servant whom I have chosen,
That you may know and believe Me,
And understand that I am He.
Before Me there was no God formed,
Nor shall there be after Me.
I, even I, am the Lord,
And besides Me there is no savior.
I have declared and saved,
I have proclaimed,
And there was no foreign god among you;
Therefore you are My witnesses,”
Says the Lord, “that I am God.
Indeed before the day was, I am He;
And there is no one who can deliver out of My hand;
I work, and who will reverse it?”
you see he was there with me on that mountain that a drunk diver on that lone cold mountain pass was used as the hand of god to be our guard rail that day for if it were not of him we likely could have slid off the road off the cliff to a long cold grizzly death ..........as his word has said no one can snatch you from my hand ............for we have been chosen................ we have been loved by God.................... He allowed that man to be exactly where he needed to be that day to be our God given guard rail
Going through a wreck is not fun stuck in a ditch against a mountain cliff ............................. its down right terrifying ..............................especially when you are on a lonely mountain road temperatures are in the teens and you don't know if anyone will save you. .............................Then comes a angel sent by God moments later as a reminder by God that He is with me that He will not let anything befall upon me that he is in control and he wants me to know it. though he let me wreck he was there waiting for me to cry out and say Help.
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,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.
How many of you are a wreck in need of a saviour..............................,His arms are open He is waiting cry out to Him................ he wants to save you as that man desired to save us. Saying I wont leave you here Im here you are going to be ok
remember this even wrecks can be the biggest blessings
that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.