Category: Ability

God's Permission

5/14/2023

Job 1:12-22
I am sure that you have seen the sign… “NO TRESPASSING.” Those two powerful words speak of ownership, control, and permission. In order to gain access to a property the visitor must get permission from the owner, because the owner is the one who controls the property. Without getting permission to access or use the property the trespasser will face the wrath of the owner who controls the land. In much the same way, that is what we see in the book of Job as Satan approaches God seeking permission to test Job’s faith (12). God granted permission so that He might display His grace and power to save through Job’s life and extinguish Satan’s argument. This was a chance for Job to exercise his faith. Well, Satan removed all of Job’s possessions (13-19) and left him in pain. However, that is not the end. Job responded in grief, but turned his pain into praise and worship of God (20). In the midst of his loss Job was able to express that his faith was in God and not in his possessions (21-22). This leaves us with several questions to ponder. 1) Do we believe that all we possess is truly a gift of God’s grace that we did not deserve? We as people like to believe that we earn our stuff through our effort. 2) Do we believe that God acts in grace to display His greatness through us? We, as people, do not like the idea that God can use our pain for His glory. 3) Do we trust God and His ability, or our abilities and possessions? We need to serve God from a heart of faith that trusts in Him at times. Remember, God is the one who hangs the No Trespassing sign on our life. Nothing happens without His knowledge, control, and permission for His glory.

For more see JOB

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Three Legged Service

3/2/2023

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1 Corinthians 12:1-7; 2 Corinthians 4:7; 2 Corinthians 12:9
We were on our normal walk, on a normal day, until we spotted them. As the dog and I rounded the corner in the road there they were, a doe and her year old baby, feeding in the neighbor’s yard. The dog and I stood silent and still, as we watched those two deer watch us. Finally, after the deer realized that we were not a threat, they relaxed a bit and started to nibble at the grass again. But, as the baby pranced and played, I noticed something was seriously wrong with the mother. As she went to take a step she limped real bad. It was at that moment, I realized that the doe was missing the lower portion of her front left leg. I have no idea what happened to her, but she was severely disabled, and her walking proved it. The injury had healed over nicely, and she seemed to have learned how to manage this setback in life quite well. She had survived the injury and successfully raised a young one. The dog and I watched in amazement for a few more moments, and then turned toward home. As we retraced our steps I reflected on the disability of the deer and the spiritual correlation to our own brokenness. God equips us and enables us to be His servants. The problem is that many times we allow our past and its problems to haunt us. Satan deceitfully tells us that we are unfit, unqualified, and unable to serve. We wrongly believe Satan’s lie, that our past brokenness makes us unusable to God. This thinking is much like looking at the three legged deer and believing that she could never raise a family. However, God is a God of redemption. He alone is the one who enables and equips us to do what He wants. We believe that God saved us from sin, but we incorrectly believe that God cannot overcome the results of sin and chaos in our past. This is where we need to correct and change our beliefs. In 2 Corinthians 4:7 Paul describes himself as an earthen vessel, a piece of pottery, that has no special ability or power apart what it holds. The value or treasure of the vessel is held in the contents of the vessel. Our ability to serve comes from God who calls us, fills us, and enables us to serve Him. We are like a piece of pottery that is easily broken, but our value and usefulness is not found in our condition but in God who saves us. As we serve, we display the extraordinary power of God working through us, as weak and broken people. It is indeed a treasure to minister and serve our Savior, Jesus Christ. God is all powerful in saving us at salvation, and He is all powerful in equipping us for service. Do we allow the all powerful God to work through us, and enable us to serve, even in our brokenness? God used a three legged deer to remind me of His power displayed in my weakness.

For more see 1 CORINTHIANS or DISCIPLESHIP

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Deliverance for God's Honor

10/24/2021

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Exodus 14:15-22
At one point in time we lived in a remote community that was accessible only by small planes. Sure, in the summer you could travel in by boat, but the most efficient form of travel was by plane. There is one problem with travel by airplane and that is weather. Pilots must know the flight routes and often rely on visual landmarks. When the clouds are thick and low the pilot can’t see and it is unsafe to fly. When the planes did not fly, supplies, groceries, and mail did not arrive. When the weather was good the planes roared right over our house on the way in or out of the airfield. The plane was our lifeline delivering food, mail and providing the way out. The problem was the weather. In Exodus 14:15-22 we see that the physical surroundings do not limit God’s capability to deliver His people. He directs the people to move (15-18) and protects them in the process (19-20). God faithfully acts to deliver His people by doing what is humanly impossible (21-22). There are three very clear lessons from this passage. First, God makes His directions clear when the situation seems impossible. Second, God protects from what seems most probable. Third, God makes a way in the impossible possible. God’s purpose was to gain His honor. Likewise, we need to constantly remember that God will work in the situations of life to not only deliver His people but also to gain His honor. However, often because of fear, our focus is only on the deliverance. God desires that we follow Him in faith, believing that He will deliver, and seek to honor Him in the process. Let me encourage you to follow God and seek His honor. He will deliver.

For more see FEAR, FAITH & FOLLOWING

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Objection to God's Call

8/15/2021

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Exodus 4:1-17
Suppose someone offered you a twenty dollar bill. I am sure you would take it. What if the bill was crumpled up into a ball, stepped on and then dumped in a mud puddle, would you still take it? For twenty dollars I am sure any one of us would accept it, clean it off, and then spend it. Why? Because, we simply understand the value of a twenty dollar bill. Regardless of its condition it is still worth twenty dollars. In Exodus 4 God continues His conversation with Moses that He started in the previous chapter. However, in chapter 4 Moses questions God’s call on his life. He questions if others will believe him (1), doubts his abilities (10) and asks God to send someone else (13). God counters each of his excuses by reminding Moses of His power (2-9), His presence (11-12) and His provision (14-17). All God wanted from Moses was faith to believe Him over his personal hangups and fears. Instead, he had allowed his fears and failure to rule his life, but now God was calling him to live a life of faith. Like the crumpled money, God saw Moses as valuable and usable under His direction. Many times, like Moses, we may only see our failures and feel the discouragement of inability creep in. We need to remember that the God who has called us for His purpose will equip us and guide us to carry His message. As Moses was told to carry the staff and proclaim God’s message, so we are to take the ordinary things of our lives and follow God in faith. God sees us as valuable and wants to use us, but sometimes we just need to crawl out of our thoughts and place our inability into His ability.

For more see FEAR, FAITH & FOLLOWING

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God's Permission

Three Legged Service

Deliverance for God's Honor

Objection to God's Call

Pastor Ken

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