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Not As Expected

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The sermon series for this Advent season at my church is aptly titled, “A Disrupted Christmas.” If you can’t relate to that this year, then you’ve missed a good chance! It seems this global pandemic has turned everyone’s life upside down in one way or another. Nothing is as expected in 2020.

Disrupted Plans

It seems we may have something in common with Mary & Joseph. It wasn’t a pandemic, but rather a couple of angels who disrupted their plans, hopes, and dreams. After Mary and Joseph were engaged, they were busy making wedding plans and dreaming of their future as husband and wife when God sent the angel Gabriel to give Mary a message:

“You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”  

Luke 1:31-33 NLT

When Mary questioned how that was possible for a virgin,

The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.

Luke 1:35 NIV

Gabriel left Mary with one final message:

“For no word from God will ever fail.”

Luke 1:37 NIV

As you can imagine, the news of Mary’s pregnancy didn’t sit well with Joseph. He had decided to break their engagement quietly when he, too, had an encounter with an angel.

“As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

Matthew 1:20-21 NLT

Upon waking from his dream, Joseph did as the angel directed and married Mary.

Not As Expected

I have a feeling that this wasn’t quite how Mary & Joseph drew it up when they got engaged. But God had far bigger plans for them than they could have ever imagined. These angelic disruptions, coupled with Mary and Joseph’s obedience, changed not only the course of Mary & Joseph’s life, but also the course of eternity for all who have placed their faith in the Son of God. From the womb to the tomb, Jesus fulfilled His Father’s purpose and saved his people from their sins. Furthermore, His resurrection conquers death. Believers everywhere can look forward to everlasting life.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

John 3:16 NIV

Because of love, He came for us;

Because of grace, He died;

Because of hope, He gave us life—a living sacrifice.

Jesus truly is the Ultimate Gift—believe and receive.

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Predetermined

Hmmm…..

What should I wear?

Does this match?

Which of these look best with this?

I get these questions frequently from my husband, Todd, when he chooses his outfit for going out and about. For someone who says he doesn’t care what anyone else thinks, he sure puts a lot of thought into what he wears! Now that our outings are limited, I haven’t been asked those questions recently. Surprisingly, he hasn’t even asked me which mask to wear!

The Test

In our 30+ years of marriage, I can tell you how this scenario generally plays out. “Whatever you want” or “I don’t care” is my answer to the open-ended question. If we proceed to the next portion of the test, my odds of answering correctly increase, or so you would think. That’s because we move to the true-false (yes/no) or multiple choice section. Guess what? I rarely pass this test! If you would like to know why, read on.

Who Has the Answer Key?

You see, long before the first question is asked, Todd already has an answer set in his mind. He is just looking for confirmation from me. This is a subjective test and Todd holds the answer key! When I don’t give his predetermined answer, my test is marked incorrect. That leaves me feeling frustrated, wondering why he ever bothered to ask if he already had the answer.

Who is the Teacher?

Now that I’ve poked fun at Todd, I will assure you that he’s not alone. Just recently, while reading my current reading plan in YouVersion, I was convicted of having predetermined answers too. The plan is called “Trusting God – A Prayer Journey” and trusting God’s communication was the topic of the day. It became evident as I read that I sometimes do the same thing with God that Todd does with me when choosing his outfit. The situation is magnified by a horrific role reversal though—I appoint myself the teacher and God is the student!

I’ll pray about some concern that is heavy on my heart and ask for God’s direction in the matter. But, when it comes right down to it, do I really want His answer? Or do I just want God to affirm my predetermined answer? After all, I have the answer key. This has far more significant consequences than choosing an outfit! Ugh.

Who is Right?

Dare I get my red pen out along with my pride and mark God’s answer wrong when it doesn’t match the one on the key? Or do I humbly surrender to His will, knowing His answers are 100% correct. He NEVER got one wrong. Ever. And never will! I have gone the former route more times than I care to admit, but, as I continue to grow closer to God, I find myself choosing the latter more and more.

Voice Recognition

As you and I spend time with God, the perfect teacher, we will more readily recognize His voice. It can be heard in a variety of forms. For me, the struggle is to be still long enough to hear what He wants to say. That is probably a lesson for a different day! Nevertheless, it’s hard not to act on my predetermined answers. The beautiful thing is that God will redeem even that. His answers come as we listen along our journey.

“You will hear your Teacher’s voice behind you. You will hear it whether you turn to the right or the left. It will say, “Here is the path I want you to take. So walk on it.””

Isaiah 30:21 NIRV

Leading From Behind

God is ready, willing, and able to provide direction. But, isn’t it curious that He leads from behind? I believe that’s because He has no intention of ever taking away our free will. He will tell us which way to go, if we tune in, but, ultimately, that decision is ours to make. When we make a wrong turn, our route is recalculated to get us back on the path. The trip just takes longer. Just ask the Israelites! They wandered around in the desert for 4 decades when their journey to the Promised Land could have been measured in days, weeks, or months. I’m thinking they made a few wrong turns along the way. But they made it nonetheless!

We will reach our destination too. ETA is TBD. It all depends on how many wrong turns we make! Remember, the shortest distance between two points is a straight line.

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Transformed and Refined

God’s Refining Fire

In early February, before COVID-19 became the hot topic, our southern pastor started a sermon series on James titled “Keeping It Real”. I wrote down a quote that he used as we studied the first few verses of James 1. Pastor Matt said, “Don’t let the trial define you; let it refine you.”

The World on High Alert

Little did he know at the time that, collectively, the world would soon be facing a trial too big to wrap our minds around. I can’t think of anyone who is immune from this trial. There are the grieving loved ones of the victims, those still fighting, those trying to stop the spread of the virus, and those putting their lives at risk to care for the previous two groups of people. You may even find yourself in more than one of those groups. Then there’s the economic impact of shutting down schools and businesses and staying home to flatten the curve. Again, is there anyone who has been spared this trial? Certainly, the impact of this global pandemic is felt at varying degrees, but it is felt by all in one way, shape or form.

Transformed

I have told more than one person in my circle of influence that I believe we will come out on the other side of this transformed. That is my prayer anyhow! Did you know that God is in the transformation business?

“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”

2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT

That’s transformation at its best! It’s an instantaneous change that results from a decision to acknowledge Jesus as Lord and Savior of our lives.

Our Purpose in a Nutshell

It took me far too long to figure out my purpose in life. I believe I told you somewhere along the way that I am a slow learner. I’m here to bring God glory. Guess what? That’s why you’re here too! I can just hear Pastor Dave saying, “It’s simple, but it ain’t easy!” How I carry that out varies on a daily basis, but I can tell you that it involves obedience. My level of success in glorifying God also varies on a daily basis. Sometimes I flat out crash and burn. Did I mention it involves obedience??

The Refining Process

We’re all a work in progress. My goal is to look more like Jesus today than I did yesterday. But, I certainly can’t do that on my own! If, and when, we accept Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives, we are filled with the Holy Spirit. It’s like having a personal guidance counselor living inside us 24/7.

“Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.”

Ephesians 4:23-24 NLT

I liken this to being refined. Transformation is more of a sudden, dramatic change. To refine is to improve something by making small changes. Guess what? God is in the refining business too!

The Israelites can vouch for that. They were God’s chosen people, yet they repeatedly turned against God. They would cry out to Him; God would deliver them; the Israelites would praise Him; and then eventually they would turn their backs on Him. Rinse. Repeat. Through it all, though, God said there still remained a righteous remnant that held firm in their trust and continued to follow Him. He would not turn His back on them. This is the group that is referred to in the following passage:

“I will bring that group through the fire and make them pure. I will refine them like silver and purify them like gold. They will call on my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘These are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.’”

Zechariah 13:9 NLT

Trouble Comes With Purpose

God often uses our difficult circumstances to refine us and make us look more like Jesus. No circumstance is wasted.

“My brothers and sisters, you will face all kinds of trouble. When you do, think of it as pure joy. Your faith will be tested. You know that when this happens it will produce in you the strength to continue. And you must allow this strength to finish its work. Then you will be all you should be. You will have everything you need.”

James 1:2-4 NIRV

I don’t know about you, but I don’t find myself jumping for joy when trouble finds me. James isn’t suggesting that we do. What should warm our hearts, though, is knowing that He will use it for good. God looks at our difficulties as an opportunity to mold and shape us into His image. May we all come out on the other side of our trials looking more like Jesus!

“Don’t let the trial define you; let it refine you.”

-Pastor Matt Hill, Bell Shoals Baptist Church-Apollo Beach Campus

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The Rest of the Story

“After Jesus drank he said, “It is finished.’ Then he bowed his head and died.”

John 19:30 NIRV

Finished. Dead. The End.

Think of the disappointment Jesus’ followers felt at that moment. The man who once stood among them performing countless miracles and wonders, often leaving them speechless, was dead. Jesus’ body was removed from the cross, wrapped in linen, and placed in a tomb. All hope was lost. Or was it? Read on for the rest of the story.

The Tomb Was Empty

On the third day, once the Sabbath had ended, three women from Galilee headed to the tomb where Jesus was buried to anoint His body. This took place early on Sunday morning. When they arrived at the tomb, they saw that the stone had been rolled away from its entrance. My daughter would say they were shook!

“but the angel said, “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body.”

Mark 16:6 NLT

Double-Takes Abound

In the days to come, Jesus would appear to His disciples and select others. They were shook too! They thought their eyes were playing tricks on them. Before His death, Jesus had given the disciples advance notice of His death and resurrection, but it was beyond their comprehension. They heard the rest of the story, but couldn’t grasp it.

“because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.””

Mark 9:31 NIV

Death Has Been Defeated

Jesus died to pay the penalty for our sin, but the story of our redemption wasn’t yet complete. Death did not have the last word. God raised Jesus from the dead and He is now seated at the right hand of His Father in Heaven. He lives! And because He lives, we, too, can look forward to spending eternity with our Heavenly Father. The redemption story is penned in a love that knows no bounds.

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.”

John 3:16-17 NLT

Victory is ours, if we choose to believe.

“But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

1 Corinthians 15:57 NLT

That, in a nutshell, is the rest of the story.

Right now, I can just hear my father-in-law singing his favorite hymn. Care to sing along? Let these words speak to your heart.

Victory in Jesus

1. I heard an old, old story, how a Savior came from Glory

How He gave His life on Calvary, to save a wretch like me.

I heard about his groaning, of his precious blood’s atoning,

Then I repented of my sins, and won the Victory.

CHORUS

Oh, Victory in Jesus, my Savior forever

He sought me and he bought me with His redeeming blood

He loved me ere I knew Him, and all my love is due Him

He plunged me to Victory, beneath the cleansing flood.

2. I heard about His healing, of His cleansing power revealing.

How He made the lame to walk again and caused the blind to see;

And then I cried, “Dear Jesus, come and heal my broken spirit.”,

And some how Jesus came and brought to me the Victory.

CHORUS

3. I heard about a mansion He has built for me in glory,

And I heard about the streets of gold beyond the crystal sea;

About the angels singing, and the old redemption story,

And some sweet day I’ll sing up there the song of Victory!

CHORUS

Sports may have been cancelled due to the Coronavirus, but Easter certainly hasn’t been. If you haven’t already, taste the victory that comes with a personal relationship with Jesus. It’ll be the sweetest one you’ve ever experienced!