Weakened And Strong

I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge, even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you, so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.  God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.  1 Corinthians 1:4-9 NASB  

Mike and I want to take a moment and say how grateful we are to serve God, to serve God with His global family.  We will never meet every single one of His people on His planet but we are a beautiful family made up of men and women who are so complex and different, broken and glued back together by His mercy - created by God- people of all ages, all shapes and sizes, all languages, all economic levels, from cities, towns, villages, remote spots and nearby hubs. We grieve with you, we celebrate with you! More than 3 years of Saturday nights with you guys ! Thank You God! Yes Lord of creation, we honor You. Thank You for the Bible, Your living word that teaches us, changes us. Thank you Holy Spirit…… Hallelujah Lord!  ….. in Jesus Christ's name, AMEN!

Think about this for a moment, we, like Apostle Paul get to love God, and we also can cry out to the Lord in our distress. God’s word is filled with examples of faith under fire and although our circumstances through history may be different, we too see havoc upon us now.  As we undergo illness, distress, loss, and heartache in our own lives, and in the lives of those we love, we cry out to the Lord. 

And because He knows us each by name we have hope, trusting God sends comfort and reassurance in His perfect timing when we seek Him in prayer, when we hold on.

Strong and content, weakend and wondering, we need to invite Holy Spirit to dwell within - to occupy our emptiness, When we, even while terrified, fall to our knees in worship before the Lord we display an example of where our posture will be when we face Him - surrendering our control of the outcome. 

Moreover, emotional pain and heartache from physical loss can take our breath away and remove our words. But please know, when we come trembling before God with the devastation of it, He sees our misery.  The doubt, fear, and hesitation are laid before Him. Unseen, our spirit cries out. Exhausted and exposed to our own vulnerability, we fully submit our warring emotions to Him. 

As a result, we feel Holy Spirit’s love as a warmth in the pit of our soul spread like a soothing river to calm our emotions. God hears our cries and sees our surrender to Him. Jesus picks up the pieces laid before Him and methodically puts them in order as Holy Spirit envelopes us with new courage! Run to Him! 

1 Peter 1:2-5 NASB according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 

My friends, we have received an inheritance in the kingdom of God, we possess that inheritance by faith, first for salvation and then for everything that God calls us to do and to be on behalf of His kingdom - salvation by faith expressed in absolute surrender to the Lord’s will, with risk-taking obedience to His kingship. And even though the fullness of our inheritance will only be experienced when God allows -  we can see that reward in the distance when our eyes remain on Jesus, it is this hope of eternal union and unbroken relationship with God that strengthens our faith. 

And as we believe our inheritance by faith, we receive and live in the love of God. This love is what we respond to at the moment of salvation. This love marks us as citizens of God’s kingdom and fellow heirs with Christ. Love transforms all we do and all we are into vessels ofGod’s kingdom through faith, hope and love. Amen.