So Framily, I am definitely on a roll here this week! And I am just about caught up with all that I have been wanting to share with you!!! And it feels good to be writing again - I miss it very much when I'm away too long... And wouldn't you know it? I started feeling sick yesterday (and it continues this morning), just enough not to have finished this when I wanted to...
I had originally decided to use the title of last Sunday's sermon for this post, but this morning when I woke up (feeling awful, I might add), I realized that it really is a question of your experience with God. Go with me here.
"Who is God?" was the title of this past Sunday's sermon (May 1st) and it has really stuck with me all week. I'm sure that everyone, both believers and non-believers, has asked that question at one time or another. I mean, we can't see Him and yet we're told that He's all around us.
Now this one may get a little deep, but just try and stick with me as I recap the sermon and then add my own take on it all. *following is the sermon summation from my notes taken during service except where otherwise noted.*
Pastor Singleton started the sermon with this statement: What you believe about God is the most important thing in your life: how you plan, live and end it.
The text was short, Exodus 5:1-2:
Of course this is the beginning of the section of Exodus when God told Moses to tell Pharaoh to let His people go. This was the very first time that Moses and Aaron had gone to Pharaoh, and of course, Pharaoh scoffed at their request. It is clear that Pharaoh didn't know who God was. (This of course happened pre-plagues and the Red Sea). According to Pastor Singleton, there are two meanings to Pharaoh's statement in verse 2: 1) who are you talking about and 2) what makes you think I care about obeying Yahweh (one of the names of God used in the Hebrew Bible)?
Fast forward to today and we have the same problems - people don't know who God is and they don't care about obeying Him. There has been a domino effect in our world; not knowing God has caused our issues, and instead, "counterfeit Gods" of sex, money, politics, power, and personal success reign. Pastor Singleton noted that while God made man in His image, today man is trying to make God in his image... meaning that because they don't know God, they make him up based on themselves (meaning that people are deciding what right and wrong is and no longer following any doctrine).
Now back to the text, Pharaoh believed God to be only the low-ranking God of slaves who couldn't do anything, so he probably thought nothing of his response. Now Moses of course had a very human response to Pharaoh's response, see Exodus 5:22-23, "I did what you said, now the people are worse off than before." Sidenote: just because God tells you to do something and you're in the will of God, doesn't mean that you will immediately reap the reward; sometimes you get in more trouble at first but it starts with faith and obedience; the way may be rough, but in the end, God is faithful. The Word goes on to say in Exodus 6:1 that God said now you will see what I will do; thus was the beginning of the battle between God and Pharaoh (and we all know how that turned out)!
Just like Israel, we serve an invisible God who is revealed by His power. See here:
Isaiah 44:6-8New International Version (NIV)
The Lord, Not Idols
6
“This is what the Lord says—
Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty:
I am the first and I am the last;
apart from me there is no God.
Who then is like me? Let him proclaim it.
Let him declare and lay out before me
what has happened since I established my ancient people,
and what is yet to come—
yes, let them foretell what will come.
Do not tremble, do not be afraid.
Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago?
You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me?
No, there is no other Rock; I know not one.”
He showed his power again with Elijah:
1 Kings 18:36-39New International Version (NIV)
36 At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be knowntoday that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. 37 Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”
38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.
39 When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God!”
God answers by power; it is the power of God that convinces unbelievers that He is God. Know that He has not forgotten or forsaken you; He is setting things up so that you will know that He did it. What you are going through prepares you for the next test (you need to pass the test and stop being set back). Remember that power belongs to God and there is NOTHING too hard for God. All good and perfect gifts come from above- in the old testament, God was invisible but his power from above was always visible; in the new testament, Jesus came from above (John 1:14) and God's power was manifested in the person of Jesus! Scripture references: John 10:36-38; Revelations 1:8.
Great sermon, right? So while I love the title of the sermon, I have my own question for you: Have you seen God's power in your life???
I had the occasion on last Sunday afternoon to surprise my aunt on my father's side, Debra Wills, at her annual birthday musical that I can never attend because I always have a conflict. I am so happy that I rearranged my schedule in order to attend; I had no idea that she had been as sick as she's been. Amidst the joy in celebrating her birthday and all of the wonderful singing that went forth, what struck me most (and stuck with me this week) was when she took the microphone to personally thank everyone for coming out and to share a bit of her testimony with those present. She also handed out "thank you's" to everyone and I will share a bit of what it said here:
"God has kept me in ways you would never imagine and I have come through it all 'victorious!' I can truly say, 'My God is an Awesome God.' Trials, tribulations, heartache, sickness, financial hardships, etc. will come. You can make it if you fight... How do you fight? Prayer, fasting, a righteous and saved life! Use your weapon called "Praise;" the word says 'In everything give thanks.' 1 Thessalonians 5:18. Praise your way through! We are not perfect, but I encourage you to live for God and He'll cause you to LIVE and have it more abundantly. 'Don't faint, use your weapons!' As (her pastor) Pastor Palms has taught us, you may have to go through a process but God will deliver. Job 23:10-12. Have faith, believe it will come to pass; you're going to outlive what you're going through."
What an awesome testimony and outlook!!! Seeing her, the effects of the physical manifestation of her sickness, and the fact that the doctors had counted her yet she's still standing? I KNOW she has seen the power of God working in her life! She'd kill me if I posted a photo of her, so I will refrain...but how about I post a photo of her musical invitation that was posted on the screen at the church instead- that shouldn't get me in trouble!
Know that when I listened to her speak and read her written words, it confirmed what was in Pastor Singleton's sermon earlier and what God has spoken to me about things in my world. I love my relatives; I am not as close to them as I'd like to be, but I love them dearly. More on that in another post...
One of my favorite songs in the world is "Power Belongs to God" by Hezekiah Walker and LFC. I'm going to share it with you hear; it is a powerful, powerful song about God's power. It's pretty old, it probably was released somewhere around 1999, but still timely. I hope you enjoy it.
So I ask you again, Have you seen God's power in YOUR life??? If so, Holla @ Darvi and share! As always, be blessed! xoxoxo
P.S. - I can't get this text to line up... I need an IT person!!!
Tried by fire some used to say, thank God He still helps us through.
ReplyDeleteAmen for that!!!
DeleteTried by fire some used to say, thank God He still helps us through.
ReplyDelete