On Eagles Wings (2)

James Johnson / General

I am going to start by being very clear and direct with you right from the outset. So you don’t have to guess where I am coming from. No speculation, no in quizzical looks....just straight and to the point. I believe with all my heart and beyond a shadow of a doubt that God loves you and I with a depth that I can barely look into - as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13:I2 . Furthermore, I believe he gave more than we can yet understand so that we can be with him forever, and I believe for those who surrender to his love we will be in his presence as it says in Psalms 27:4 and as it says in Rev 3:21 to sit with him on his throne and rule together in love for eternity.

One of the texts I appreciate that says this with the most poetic and loving language is Jeremiah 31:3

Jeremiah 31:3 AV

The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

There are so many opinions today, that if we get caught up in all of them we may begin to believe more of what the world is saying then what God has already said. We may see trouble where God sees opportunity, we may see opportunity where God knows there is trouble. And we may allow our circumstances to tell us what God thinks of us instead of what he has said and what we are experiencing daily.

Do you mind if I ask a question. Oh it is not one I expect you to yell out an answer but rather to begin, possibly continue to reflect on. Have you thought lately about what you would be most satisfied with in life, what you might look back on a year, 10 years, 30 years from now and realize your dreams have been fulfilled well beyond your greatest expectations. (Brothe Lewis you are using that a computer science degree in ways you never imagined, Michelle you not only have that RN under your belt but you did decide to practice law and you are both a RN and a jurists doctorate, Brother Javier Oakwood was the best decision you ever made and God has used that to grow you in ways you have never thought of, Mike la God took your natural gifts of being that listening ear for your friends and grew it into a ministry and a career) Have you, might you in the quiet hours of solitude prior to saying the final prayer of the night or drifting off to sleep thinking about what “good” might look like in your life. Maybe it is that well paying job, or the ideal spouse, a boy a girl, and a picket fence. Could be health and wellness, and good friends, a loving church family, 2 cars and a Harley (Brother Jason). Have you though? Have you thought about it lately or maybe the thought of what good should look like in your life occupies much or your day, drives you to those good grades in school or college or on that first job.

I would offer that at some point time and in varying frequencies we all have considered what would be good for us — you and I. I might ask you as we turn to the book of Jeremiah Chapter 29:11 to consider primarily and for this moment in time, what God thinks good looks like for you and I

Jeremiah 29:11–12 AV

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.

I love this text because God is making it clear how he feels about his folks, his people. And my His people I don’t mean nationalistically only but those who love him. God makes it clear thought here in this passage, what he considers good for his folks then and you and I today — for I believe there are his folks here in the building today, I believe there are his folks watching on line. From God’s perspective good means peace, good means no evil, good means a positive outcome and expected end.

It is a good thing to know what we someone we love thinks of us don’t you? It is good to know what someone who can help us thinks of us, that they mean us no harm, no evil, in fact they mean as it literally is translated “a latter end and an expectation” In other words, God promises them that all things will come out well for them.

There is some important background here to lay out under what circumstances he is sharing this. You see the Nation of Israel were captives, they were exiles in the strange and unwelcoming land of Bablyon. The word on the street was that they were not going to be there long. The popular prophets were saying they would only be there a short time. But God speaking through Jeremiah just a few short versus early was saying to them it would be much longer.

Lets’ go there — flip just a few versus backward to verse 8:

Jeremiah 29:8–10 AV

For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed. For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith the LORD. For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.

So what is the object lesson for the folks here. Circumstances even the most troubling, do not determine what God thinks toward us neither do present circumstances communicate what God ultimately has for us. Paul has said in 1 Cor 2:9 , For as it is written (quote from Isa 64:4), Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have it entered into the heart of man the things that God has prepared for those that love him.

Sometimes the most dire of circumstances can turn unexpectedly for our benefit.

WWII Vet's Blood Saves Grandmother

Kim Huffman tells this story: World War II was over, and my father, along with thousands of others had been discharged from the service. On every highway you could see soldiers in uniform hitchhiking home to their families.

But for my father the thrill of reunion was overshadowed by his mother’s illness. There was a problem with her kidneys. The doctors told my father that she needed a blood transfusion immediately or she would not live through the night.

Grandmother’s blood type was AB negative, a very rare type. In those days there were no blood banks like there are today. No one in the family had that type blood either, and the hospital had not been able to find anyone with that rare type.

Realizing that grandmother had only a few hours to live, father decided to rush home, take a shower, change clothes and then return for the final good-byes.

As he was driving home he passed a soldier hitchhiking. At first, my father was not going to stop. But something compelled him to pull over. The soldier climbed in and the trip continued on in silence. Deep in grief, my father didn’t say a word.

But the soldier realized that something was wrong when he saw a tear roll down my father’s cheek, and he asked what was the matter. My father told him that grandmother was about to die because the hospital couldn’t find anyone with AB negative blood. My father explained that he was heading home to change clothes and then was going back to the hospital for her final hours.

The hitchhiker pulled something out of his pocket and that’s when father saw that he was holding dog tags that read "AB negative." The soldier told my father to turn the car around and head back to the hospital.

His blood saved my grandmother’s life, and she lived 47 more years. But somehow, in the excitement of the moment, the soldier slipped out of the hospital without any further word. To this day my family doesn’t know who he was. My father has often wondered if that stranger really was a soldier or if he was an angel in disguise.

All I know is that God was surely there, and in one way or another, He was the one who provided the blood that saved my grandmother that day.

With everything that is going on today, with the winds of strife begining to blow with greater velocity and frequency we need something solid to hold on to. I remember being in those typhons in Okinawa trying to get into the barracks as a young adult or out there unauthorized and when those winds were blowing we needed something to hold on to. Something solid, firm, and steadfast. So we do today as well need something to anchor onto. That something in my estimation is the experiential love of God. And it is vitally important that we know in the most intimate of ways what he is communicating to us, that we can trust him, and that his word is true and preeminent above all the other words that are coming at us today.

Because make no mistake about it as it says in 1 Timothy 4:1-3 that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils. And those doctrines those teaching are in a very subtle but powerful way speaking direct challenges to what God has said; those teachings are coming at us via our devices, social media, music, mentors, etc.

Who's flying the plane?

By Roger Whipp

I guess many here including me have in the past and if honest still do sometimes ask this question “Why God?” or “How can there be a God with all this suffering” Sometimes life hands us some tricky situations. Former President Ronald Reagan likes to tell a story which he says is true about a newspaper photographer out in Los Angeles who was called in by his editor and told of a fire that was raging out in Palos Verdes. That’s a hilly area south of Los Angeles. His assignment was to rush down to a small airport, board a waiting plane, get some pictures of the fire, and be back in time for the afternoon edition. Breathlessly, he raced to the airport and drove his car to the end of the runway. Sure enough, there was a plane waiting with all the engines all revved up, ready to go. He got aboard, and at about five thousand feet, he began getting his camera out of the bag. He told the fellow flying the plane to get him over the fire so he could take his pictures and get back to the paper. From the other side of the cockpit there was a deafening silence.

Then he heard these unsettling words: "Aren’t you the instructor?"……………

Some of us have been in situations like that one. Our lives have been going along smoothly, flying on cloud nine. We thought we were in control, when "oops!" something changes and we realized we are in trouble. Illness, Bereavement, Marital or Financial problems, the list goes on!

Our text for this morning is a recognition that life does not always operate according to plan. St. Paul writes, "I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us."

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Exported from Logos Bible Software, 9:55 PM July 29, 2022.

Who's flying the plane?

By Roger Whipp

I guess many here including me have in the past and if honest still do sometimes ask this question “Why God?” or “How can there be a God with all this suffering” Sometimes life hands us some tricky situations. Former President Ronald Reagan likes to tell a story which he says is true about a newspaper photographer out in Los Angeles who was called in by his editor and told of a fire that was raging out in Palos Verdes. That’s a hilly area south of Los Angeles. His assignment was to rush down to a small airport, board a waiting plane, get some pictures of the fire, and be back in time for the afternoon edition. Breathlessly, he raced to the airport and drove his car to the end of the runway. Sure enough, there was a plane waiting with all the engines all revved up, ready to go. He got aboard, and at about five thousand feet, he began getting his camera out of the bag. He told the fellow flying the plane to get him over the fire so he could take his pictures and get back to the paper. From the other side of the cockpit there was a deafening silence.

Then he heard these unsettling words: "Aren’t you the instructor?"……………

Some of us have been in situations like that one. Our lives have been going along smoothly, flying on cloud nine. We thought we were in control, when "oops!" something changes and we realized we are in trouble. Illness, Bereavement, Marital or Financial problems, the list goes on!

Our text for this morning is a recognition that life does not always operate according to plan. St. Paul writes, "I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us."

Copied from Sermon Central